BSN Capstone Paper Sample
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The document discusses the complexities and factors involved in transferring nursing home residents to hospitals, highlighting the importance of an increasing elderly population. It emphasizes that transfers are influenced by the resident's wishes, financial status, medical condition, and healthcare provider considerations. Furthermore, it notes the challenges faced by nursing homes in managing care and regulatory demands while ensuring individualized environments for residents.
BSN Capstone Paper Sample
- 1. A S T U D Y O N N U R S I N G H O M E T R A N S F E R S
- 2. Abstract Transferring nursing home residents to various hospitals is an event that happens every day all over the country. The increasing number of elderly has become a very important health concern that faces the American society. Different studies throughout the years have presented the fact that transferring is quite complicated, and is often influenced by several different factors. These factors have discovered that the request of the resident, financial status and medical condition of the resident, including the status of the nursing home, beliefs and ethical issues of the physician as well as the other nursing staffs have all influenced the decision in transferring a resident to a hospital. Other studies have also found out that residents did not always get the most out of hospital interventions, as expected by the resident and family. This paper also reviewed the various reasons for transfers by residents from skilled and privately owned long-term care facilities. Introduction The growing numbers of the elderly population creates a lot of issues that needs to be addressed by the American society, not just now, but also in the future. Making sure that every elderly individual receives the needed assistance, as needed, in order to have a healthy and full life, are vital concerns that face Americans. Due to the presence of the so-called baby boomers turning senior citizens, the numbers of the elderly rapidly increase, making these issues to gain more and more significance. In the year 2011 alone, 21% of the population in the USA turned 65 (Healthcare Research and Quality Agency, 2012). The elderly live in different setups – senior housing, single family homes, with their family members, as well as in long-term care facilities. Elderly who are not disabled and are still healthy live independently, while those who need assistance for their needs every day may permanently reside in either residential settings, or in long-term care facilities. In these places, assistance if given by paid caregivers.
- 3. Most often, nursing homes are preferred as they offer the best setting for elderly individuals who need physical assistance 24 hours a day for activities like bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, ambulation, as well as overall nursing care. Background The senior citizen population has increased rapidly in the United States. This is brought about by the fact that baby boomers start reaching 65 years old. This is also due partly to the improved longevity among Americans, advances in the field of medicine as well as a decrease in birth rates. This growth in the senior population has resulted to the demands coming from the family members, as well as the society as a whole, especially when it comes to ensuring the population’s health and well-being. While extended families take care of their elderly ones in the past generations, the modern generation prefer not doing so as often as expected. The goals involved in long-term care setting present several challenges for the administrators of nursing homes, as it includes creating a balance between preparing a safe environment while providing opportunities for the resident to select and control their own environment in order to show their own individuality (Kahlberg & Brad, 2003). Nursing home settings are highly controlled by state and federal agencies. Legislation has also influenced how these nursing homes deal with residents who fall ill. Regulations have also increased further the hours involved in nursing care. However, much of the increase in nursing time is usually spent on the needs of the regulation involving computerized assessments as well as the completion of reports and forms. These documents are related directly to the rates of reimbursement that is received by a facility and are also considered as highly important.
- 4. Literature Search A literature search have presented studies during a period of 25 years. It discovered that hospital transfers coming from long-term care settings have happened for several years and have been considered from several different angles, with each of the aspects contributing significant information towards the understanding of the situation at hand (Carmer, 2005). The literature also explained that the hospital transfers happened as a result of different facets in a decision, mainly influenced by the physician, the resident, and the family. References Carmer, H. (200%). Hospitalization rates variations among different nursing home residents: discretion and hospitalizations. Research Health Services 40(3), 123-125. Healthcare Research and Quality Agency (2012). Research on long- term care settings. Retrieved July 5, 2012 from www.hrqa.gov/research/longterm Kahlberg, H., Brad, A. (2003). Impact of nursing home type of ownership and payer source of residents. Medical Setup, 44(3), 1000-1004.