Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G R Hall

Publications and source records attributed to G R Hall.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Caregiver training for people with Alzheimer's based on a stress threshold model.

A caregiver training protocol for Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD) is presented for dementia management based on the progressively lowered stress threshold model. The training protocol is described using criteria for a nursing intervention including: (a) characteristics of the nursing diagnosis, (b) research base for the intervention, (c) desired patient outcomes, (d) acceptability to the patient, (e) capability of the nurse, and (f) feasibility for doing the intervention. A national study is described which is currently underway to further evaluate the effects of the training protocol.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1995

Uncovering and managing denial during the research process.

This article describes experiences of geropsychiatric nurses examining the effectiveness of the Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold Model for caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, and briefly reviews the literature on coping and denial. This research project, and those of many other psychiatric nurses, is predicated on the expectation that subjects will be able to acknowledge and report to investigators their personal and intimate responses to the challenges and everyday experiences of caregiving. Clearly, the research findings will be most valid if subjects are completely open about all aspects of their experiences, no matter how painful; yet this is often an idealized expectation. Therefore, this article also explores the concerns of geropsychiatric nurse researchers attempting to balance sensitivity to the needs of subjects and the reliability and validity of the data.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1995

Standardized care plan. Managing Alzheimer's patients at home.

1. Family-provided care of members with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD) is complicated by the presence of secondary behavioral symptoms, such as agitation, that lead to caregiver depression, burden, and breakdown. 2. Caregiver education to manage secondary symptoms in ADRD can be simplified by using a theoretical framework of person-environment fit, providing a selection of interventions to modify the environment to reduce demand on the dwindling resources of the demented person. 3. The Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold (PLST) model identifies six areas of stress for persons with ADRD fatigue, change of caregiver, environment or routine, demands to achieve beyond capability, multiple and competing stimuli, affective response to perceived losses, and physical stressors.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Shining through: the humor and individuality of persons with Alzheimer's disease.

1. Elders with diminished levels of cognitive functioning are capable of providing meaningful, consistent responses that illustrate individual expressions of self. 2. The demented elder's history and experiences may provide important clues to understanding his or her current behaviors, verbalizations, and perceptions. 3. Humor may be used as a therapeutic intervention for persons with dementia and as a coping strategy for caregivers.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Managing constipation using a research-based protocol.

Constipation, a common health problem particularly for elderly and hospitalized patients, can cause abdominal pain, discomfort, gas, headaches, nausea, anorexia, a bad taste in the mouth, and potentially adds to functional loss and length of stay. As part of a quality improvement initiative, a research-based interdisciplinary protocol was developed to prevent constipation in hospitalized immobile vascular surgery patients. Using a combination of dietary fiber, increased fluid, and hygiene measures over a 3-year period, incidence of constipation was reduced from 59% to about 9%. The incidence of impaction was eliminated and requests for laxatives and enemas were reduced from 59% to about 8%.

Clinical Nursing Research↗
PubMed1994

Chronic dementia. Challenges in feeding a patient.

1. For the SDAT/MID patient, the nurse must determine food preferences and ability to eat, meet nutritional needs, and have a basic understanding of what techniques might assist professional and family caregivers with appropriate feeding techniques. 2. Ensuring adequate nutrition requires a multidisciplinary approach. Nurses must collaborate with dietitians and other health care professionals regarding food selection, feeding techniques, and environmental management that maximize nutritional outcomes. 3. There is a need for continuing research into nutritional needs and dietary interventions for dementia patients in all stages of illness and in all settings.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Caring for people with Alzheimer's disease using the conceptual model of progressively lowered stress threshold in the clinical setting.

Care of the people with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD) has been fraught with controversy, often resulting in competing philosophies about what constitutes the "correct" approach. Whether developing an individualized plan of care or specialized programming, it is helpful to use a conceptual framework. The Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold (PLST) conceptual model has been used extensively for planning individualized care for patients with ADRD, developing specialized environments and programming, evaluating outcomes of interventions, and serving as the theoretical framework for nursing research. This article describes use of the PLST model in a clinical setting.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1993

Managing the care of patients with irreversible dementia during hospitalization for comorbidities.

Caring for the patient with AD hospitalized with comorbidities is a nursing challenge. By educating staff, using the PLST model, working with families, and implementing patient-focused care, positive outcomes are not only possible but probable. It is important for staff to work with caregivers in all aspects of care of the patient incorporating the patient's personal and medical historical knowledge into the care plan. Nursing facilities and families can provide a wealth of information, and communication before and after hospitalization maximizes positive outcomes for all concerned.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1991

Whole disease care planning: fitting the program to the client with Alzheimer's disease.

Care of the person with a chronic dementing illness is best approached from a conceptual perspective. As the "whole disease care planning" model demonstrates, care is logically derived from knowledge of the client's premorbid characteristics, and intervention strategies develop from following the individual's daily routine and simplifying it as the disease progresses. Although it is impossible to discuss the entire scope of care planning for demented adults in a brief article, this information can help nurses determine which intervention strategies to pursue based on the sociocultural background of clients and their level of functional loss. The desired outcomes at all levels of care include maximizing the potential for safe function by controlling for excess disability and providing appropriate levels of assistance; participation in activities as desired by the client; and minimizing discomfort and maximizing expressions of comfort.

Activities of Daily Living↗