Residents living and dying in long-term care (LTC) homes represent one of society’s most frail and marginalized populations of older adults, particularly those residents with advanced dementia who are often excluded from activities that promote quality of life in their last months of life. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and effects of Namaste Care: an innovative program to improve end-of-life care for people with advanced dementia. This study used a mixed-method survey design to evaluate the Namaste Care program in two LTC homes in Canada. Pain, quality of life, and medication costs were assessed for 31 residents before and 6 months after they participated in Namaste Care. The program consisted of two 2-h sessions per day for 5 days per week. Namaste Care staff provided high sensory care to residents in a calm, therapeutic environment in a small group setting. Feasibility was assessed in terms of recruitment rate, number of sessions attended, retention rate, and any adverse events. Acceptability was assessed using qualitative interviews with staff and family. The feasibility of Namaste Care was acceptable with a participation rate of 89%. However, participants received only 72% of the sessions delivered and only 78% stayed in the program for at least 3 months due to mortality. After attending Namaste Care, participants’ pain and quality of life improved and medication costs decreased. Family members and staff perceived the program to be beneficial, noting positive changes in residents. The majority of participants were very satisfied with the program, providing suggestions for ongoing engagement throughout the implementation process. These study findings support the implementation of the Namaste Care program in Canadian LTC homes to improve the quality of life for residents. However, further testing is needed on a larger scale.

中文翻译：

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评估 Namaste Care 计划在加拿大长期护理机构中的可行性和可接受性

在长期护理 (LTC) 院中生活和死亡的居民是社会上最脆弱和边缘化的老年人群之一，特别是那些患有晚期痴呆症的居民，他们在生命的最后几个月常常被排除在提高生活质量的活动之外。本研究的目的是评估 Namaste Care 的可行性、可接受性和效果：这是一项旨在改善晚期痴呆症患者临终关怀的创新计划。本研究使用混合方法调查设计来评估加拿大两个 LTC 家庭的 Namaste Care 计划。对 31 名居民在参加 Namaste Care 之前和之后 6 个月的疼痛、生活质量和药物费用进行了评估。该计划包括每天两次 2 小时的课程，每周 5 天。Namaste Care 工作人员在一个平静的治疗环境中，在小组环境中为居民提供高度感官护理。根据招募率、参加的会议次数、保留率和任何不良事件来评估可行性。可接受性是通过对员工和家人的定性访谈来评估的。Namaste Care 的可行性是可以接受的，参与率为 89%。然而，参与者只接受了 72% 的课程，并且由于死亡，只有 78% 的人在该计划中停留了至少 3 个月。参加 Namaste Care 后，参与者的疼痛和生活质量得到改善，药物成本降低。家庭成员和工作人员认为该计划是有益的，并注意到居民的积极变化。大部分参与者对节目非常满意，为整个实施过程中的持续参与提供建议。这些研究结果支持在加拿大 LTC 家庭实施 Namaste Care 计划，以提高居民的生活质量。但是，还需要更大规模的进一步测试。