PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Sharon Kaasalainen

Publications and source records attributed to Sharon Kaasalainen.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

An exploration of seniors' ability to report pain.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of a group of elderly residents to use self-report methods to measure their pain in an accurate fashion. Using a comparative descriptive design, completion rates of three pain assessment tools and the self-report skills of a sample of 130 long-term care residents with varying levels of cognitive impairment were evaluated. The majority of residents with mild to moderate cognitive impairment were able to complete at least one of the verbal pain assessment tools, with the Present Pain Intensity and Numerical Rating Scales being the preferred choices for use in clinical settings. However, the Faces Pain Scale appeared to be more challenging for residents to complete, suggesting that it requires further testing before it can be recommended for clinical use.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

A comparison of pain-assessment tools for use with elderly long-term-care residents.

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties (test-retest and interrater reliability, criterion concurrent validity) of 3 verbal pain-assessment tools (Faces Pain Scale, Numerical Rating Scale, Present Pain Intensity Scale) and a behavioural pain-assessment scale for use with an elderly population. The study used a repeated-measures design to examine the reliability and validity of the tools across 4 groups of participants with varying levels of cognitive impairment using a non-random stratified sample of 130 elderly long-term-care residents. The findings support the test-retest and interrater reliability of the behavioural pain-assessment tool across all levels of cognitive impairment, whereas the same measures of reliability for the verbal-report tools decreased with increasing cognitive impairment; however, the majority of elderly with mild to moderate cognitive impairment were able to complete at least 1 of these tools. The findings are discussed in relation to their clinical and research implications.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Staff development and long-term care of patients with dementia.

Staff development and training programs focusing on the care of patients with dementia is important in providing staff with the specialized knowledge and skills essential in the management of these patients. In this article, the nature of staff development is explored with an analysis of conceptual visions or definitions of staff development. Secondly, the Cervero (1985) framework for continuing professional education and behavioral change is used as a guide to describe the factors that influence the effectiveness of staff development (i.e., social system, individual learner characteristics, type or design of program). Next, the literature related to the outcomes of staff development programs is analyzed. In particular, do staff development programs lead to increased staff morale and job satisfaction and improved client care? An analysis of orientation and educational programs developed for staff working with patients with dementia in long-term care settings is conducted. Using aspects of the RSA evaluation model (Abruzzese, 1996), each program is examined in terms of its process, content, outcome, and impact, along with its feasibility in clinical settings. This critical analysis provides some direction for the development and evaluation of staff development programs in long-term care settings for those staff who work with patients with dementia.

Aged↗