Range and frequency of nursing interventions undertaken in patients with functional performance deficits in home care

Aim
Long-term nursing home care (LNHC) is provided in a patient’s home environment. The aim of this study was determining the range and frequency of nursing interventions undertaken in a group of patients with functional performance deficits and being under home care depending on the patients’ condition (functional performance, intellectual performance, risks of depressive symptoms and risks of decubitus ulcers).

Material and methods
The study encompassed 138 patients with functional performance deficits; 108 of them were provided with LNHC and the rest of them were under IHC’s care. To perform the study, the following standardised tools were used: the Barthel Scale, Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS), Geriatric-Depression Scale-Short Form (GDS-SF) and Norton Scale) along with the authors’own and sociodemographic questionnaires. Moreover, the patients’ medical documents were analysed.

Results
Considerable negative correlations were found in frequency of nursing interventions undertaken depending on patients’ functional performance deficits assessed by means of the Barthel Scale, intellectual performance assessed with the AMTS, risks of depressive symptoms checked by means of the GDS-SF and risks of decubitus ulcers assessed with the Norton Scale.

Conclusions
The most frequently undertaken nursing home care interventions were hygienic activities associated with combing, shaving and trimming nails, performing and interpreting diagnostic tests by means of test strips, subcutaneous administration of drugs, taking care of a probe, prevention of contractures and changing the positions of the patients’ body.