Authors
Felice Chang, Kathy Shaw
Published in
Clinical nurse specialist CNS. Volume 39. Issue 6. Pages 247-253.
Abstract
More than 60% of older adults living in long-term care facilities are at higher risk for pneumonia, aspiration, and malnutrition due to oropharyngeal dysphagia. Survey findings at a long-term care facility serving veterans revealed variation in dysphagia-related care performance and knowledge gaps. This quality improvement project aimed to reduce aspiration and pneumonia rates by 25% and the daily incidence rate of abnormal vital signs, indicating microaspiration events.
Plan-Do-Study-Act was utilized in a long-term care facility serving veterans. Rates of aspiration, pneumonia, and abnormal vital signs were analyzed to evaluate outcomes, Independent t test was used to analyze pre-education-post-education knowledge tests.
Education on dysphagia management, signage communicating dysphagia-related orders, and weekly mealtime observations were implemented to improve knowledge, application, and consistency of correct practice.
Long-term care facility residents (n = 59; mean age, 77 years; 93.1% male) saw reduced rates of aspiration and pneumonia (47.4%, P = .022) and abnormal vital signs (51.8%, P < .001), Unintended weight loss was prevented by 37.2% (P = .034). Pre-post tests indicated a 52.6% improvement in knowledge among nursing staff, t53 = 7.604, P < .001.
Expanding education and improving accessibility to care-related orders to all nursing staff improved safety among long-term care residents.
PMID:
41118500
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 22 Oct 2025.
Read full publication at:
Please sign in
to see all details.
Advertisement
Stats
- Recommendations n/a n/a positive of 0 vote(s)
- Views 76
- Comments 0