Care for Older Adults Living with Dementia in the Emergency Department: Informing the Development of a Clinical Care Pathway

Jelinski, Dana Christine

Care for Older Adults Living with Dementia in the Emergency Department: Informing the Development of a Clinical Care Pathway

dc.contributor.advisor	Goodarzi, Zahra
dc.contributor.advisor	Holroyd-Leduc, Jayna
dc.contributor.author	Jelinski, Dana Christine
dc.contributor.committeemember	Reich, Krista
dc.contributor.committeemember	Lang, Eddy
dc.date	2024-11
dc.date.accessioned	2024-06-13T16:52:18Z
dc.date.available	2024-06-13T16:52:18Z
dc.date.issued	2024-06-11
dc.description.abstract	Background: People living with dementia (PLWD) are frequent users of the emergency department (ED). PLWD experience adverse outcomes in the ED at higher rates than older adults without dementia, and care partners play a vital role in supporting them. While there is some evidence that exists regarding best practices in caring for PLWD in the ED, there are gaps in evidence on the experiences of caring for PLWD in ED and implementing best practices from the view of healthcare providers (HCPs). Objectives: The objectives of this thesis were to (1) synthesize barriers and facilitators to care for PLWD in the ED through the perspective of care partners as well as HCP perceptions of care partner roles within the ED, and (2) explore barriers and facilitators to care through the perspective of HCPs. Methods: A systematic review and meta-synthesis were conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute Manual for Evidence Synthesis to synthesize care partner perspectives and roles regarding care for PLWD in the ED. Semi-structured interviews with HCPs were used to directly understand experiences in caring for PLWD in the ED. Results: Care partners and HCPs reported similar barriers and facilitators to care for PLWD in the ED. Key barriers to care included gaps in primary care, the ED environment, and lack of dementia specific guidance and training. Key facilitators included the importance of care partner and patient involvement, and communication and collaboration among care teams. Conclusion: The findings of this study inform the development of interventions that target behavior change and promote dementia friendly EDs. Key implications highlighted in this study include education and training, staffing and environmental changes, and care guidance and policy implementation.
dc.identifier.citation	Jelinski, D. C. (2024). Care for older adults living with dementia in the emergency department: informing the development of a clinical care pathway (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/1880/118944
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	Dementia
dc.subject	Emergency Department
dc.subject	Geriatrics
dc.subject.classification	Medicine and Surgery
dc.subject.classification	Health Care Management
dc.title	Care for Older Adults Living with Dementia in the Emergency Department: Informing the Development of a Clinical Care Pathway
dc.type	master thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Medicine – Community Health Sciences
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Master of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudent	I require a thesis withhold – I need to delay the release of my thesis due to a patent application, and other reasons outlined in the link above. I have/will need to submit a thesis withhold application.