Assessing Palliative Care Needs in Residents with Alzheimer's

Author

Emily YarnellFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-2019

Document Type

DNP Project

Project Team Faculty Member

Amelia Pérez, PhD, RN

Project Team Faculty Member

Debra Jenkins, PhD, RN

Keywords

Alzheimer's, Dementia, Palliative care, Advanced Directives, End of Life

Abstract

Current evidence indicates a lack of assessment protocols focusing on palliative care needs for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. This gap in practice supported the need to implement an evidence-based assessment protocol for early identification of palliative care needs in patients with Alzheimer’s disease residing in a long-term care facility. The protocol included using the patient’s Global Deterioration Scale (GDS) score to determine the patient’s palliative care needs according to the Dementia Progression Prioritization of Goals model. If the score indicated moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease, then their goal was maximization of comfort, indicating a need to begin palliative care plans.

A total of 36 residents in the long-term care facility selected for this project were assessed. Based on the protocol, 17 residents needed a palliative care consult. Following implementation of the protocol, hospice care was initiated on four residents and palliative care plans were initiated on another four residents. An educational session about the protocol was conducted to the staff. Upon evaluation of the protocol, staff identified the protocol easy to understand, feasible for daily use, and beneficial to practice. Further follow up is needed to evaluate the long-term impact of this project.

Recommended Citation

Yarnell, Emily, "Assessing Palliative Care Needs in Residents with Alzheimer's" (2019). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 54.
https://spark.siue.edu/dnpprojects/54

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