PeVA – Dem

Development of a dementia-specific nurse-led care model for German nursing homes

Background

The growing multimorbidity and the rising number of people with dementia increase the complexity of nursing and medical care in German nursing homes. To achieve high-quality care for residents with dementia, a structured coordination of intra- and interprofessional collaboration and a broad knowledge about dementia-specific care is required from all professions involved. As part of the "Konzertierte Aktion Pflege", the German government recommends the development of innovative care models in which high qualified nurses will be employed effectively and according to their competences and in which interprofessional cooperation and coordination will be promoted. International professionalization models such as Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) can be used as orientation in this context.

Project Aims

Aim of the project PeVA-Dem is the development of a dementia-specific, nurse-led care model for German nursing homes to improve intra- and interprofessional care of multimorbid residents with dementia in complex care situations. As part of the development process of the nurse-led care model, possible qualification approaches (e.g. APN) will be examined with regard to their feasibility in the German long-term care system.

Methods

In a first step, existing nurse-led care models will be identified based on a scoping review (national and international). In a second step, case studies will be used to describe the current care situation in the nursing homes as well as associated care problems and goals for improvement. The case studies will include context questionnaires, interviews with residents with dementia and their relatives as well as interviews with the staff involved in the care of residents with dementia. Afterwards, a group Delphi study will be conducted with stakeholders on the level of the institution and organization to prioritize the care problems and goals for improvement. From the evidence obtained a prototype of the dementia-specific, nurse-led care model will be developed. In a final step, the accuracy of fit and feasibility of this prototype will be discussed in focus groups with stakeholders and a final model will be developed.

Expected Results

Through this project, first evidence-based findings will be delivered on the design of a dementia-specific, nurse-led care model for nursing homes and on the possibilities of an implementation of high qualified nursing staff in interprofessional teams in the German long-term care setting. Additionally, insights will be gained into the requirements and implementation possibilities of an “APN dementia” in the German care context. In a subsequent study, the dementia-specific, nurse-led care model should be implemented and evaluated with regard to acceptance, feasibility and improvement of coordination and quality of care.