Background: Diabetes is common among nursing home residents, with approximately one in four affected, a figure expected to rise. Despite the complexity of care required, educational support for nursing home staff remains limited. This study will aim to co-design and evaluate a digital intervention to improve staff knowledge, confidence, and practices in diabetes care. Methods: The study will follow a logic model across three workstreams. Workstream 1 (WS1) will inform the model inputs through three phases: (1) a scoping review will be conducted to summarise existing diabetes education initiatives in nursing home settings; (2) approximately 20 semi-structured interviews will be carried out with nursing home staff to explore perceived barriers and supports in delivering diabetes care; and (3) a modified Delphi process involving 50–70 diverse stakeholders will be used to establish educational priorities. Workstream 2 (WS2) will involve co-designing a digital diabetes education intervention, informed by WS1 findings. Co-design participants will include nursing home staff, diabetes professionals, and people living with diabetes or their carers. Workstream 3 (WS3) will consist of a mixed-methods evaluation of the intervention. Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires will assess staff knowledge, confidence, and attitudes. The usability of the intervention will also be measured. Following implementation, focus groups with approximately 32 staff members will be conducted to explore user experiences and perceived impact on resident care. Discussion: This study will address an important gap in staff education and support, aiming to improve diabetes care within nursing home settings through a digitally delivered, co-designed intervention.

Doll therapy is a psychosocial intervention that has been commonly used within dementia care for many decades. The practice of doll therapy involves supporting people with dementia to engage with a therapeutic doll and this has been associated with positive changes in a person’s wellbeing and behavior. While there have been several systematic reviews that have focused on behavioral outcomes, limited reviews have explored the broader psychosocial outcomes associated with doll therapy in care home settings. A scoping review of the literature was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Four electronic databases were searched systematically (CINAHL Plus, Medline, PsycINFO, and PubMed). Twelve primary research studies from the past ten years (2013–2023) were included in this review. Primary data were synthesized using a narrative synthesis methodology. The three main themes from this review relate to a reduction in levels of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), increased communication skills, and a reduction in caregiver distress. Doll therapy has the potential to be an effective person-centered intervention that can enhance quality of life for people living with dementia in care home settings.

Background/Objectives: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder that presents significant challenges for care home residents and staff. This scoping review aimed to synthesize evidence on PD education and training available to care home staff, examine existing programs and their effectiveness, and identify gaps in current educational approaches. Methods: A scoping review (ScR) was conducted and guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis extension for ScR (PRISMA-ScR) checklist. A comprehensive search of six electronic databases was conducted in September 2024. Studies focusing on PD education and training for care home staff were included. Data extraction and quality appraisal were performed, followed by thematic analysis to identify key patterns and themes. Results: Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. The thematic analysis revealed four main themes: improvements in PD knowledge and confidence, improvements in care practices and outcomes, the need for increased specialist education, and the incorporation of communication training. Educational interventions led to significant improvements in staff knowledge, confidence, and care practices. However, these studies also highlighted a critical need for more specialized PD training among care home staff. Conclusions: This review provides evidence of promise regarding the potential impact of PD-specific education on care home staff knowledge and practices. Future research should focus on developing and evaluating comprehensive, tailored educational programs to enhance the quality of care for people with PD in care home settings.

Background: Delirium is a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome characterised by an acute state of confusion, with a substantial impact on medical inpatients. Despite its growing recognition as a global healthcare concern, delirium remains underdiagnosed, partly due to a lack of awareness among healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to explore how healthcare professional students experience caring for individuals experiencing delirium, the influence of their current pre-registration healthcare education, and importance of interprofessional teamwork in their role. Methods: This qualitative study used a focus group approach to collect data from 40 healthcare professional students, including nursing, pharmacy, and medical students, across two universities in Ireland. The focus groups explored participants’ experiences of caring for people with delirium, their delirium education, and their collaboration with interdisciplinary teams. The data were analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis approach. Results: Following thematic analysis, three themes are reported. The first is “The Upside Down,” revealing student perceptions of caring for people with delirium who are facing distressing situations. The second team reported is, “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work,” emphasising the critical role of interprofessional collaboration in delirium management and patient outcomes. Finally, the theme of “A Little Is Not Enough,” highlighted students’ critiques of current delirium education in their pre-registration training. Collectively, these themes illuminate challenges in delirium care, advocate for teamwork in healthcare settings, and call for improvements in educational preparation for future healthcare professionals. Conclusions: This study contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into the perspectives of healthcare professional students on delirium care. The findings also highlight the challenging nature of caring for individuals with delirium and the need for improved delirium education and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Background: Delirium is frequently unrecognised, and healthcare professionals lack knowledge and confidence in recognition and management of the condition. Increased delirium education within pre-registration healthcare profession curricula may help to address this. A modified Delphi approach was utilised to develop a set of education priorities associated with delirium education for healthcare profession students. Methods: An initial list of 72 education priorities were identified from a literature review, stakeholder focus groups, and a review of available clinical guidelines. Priorities were grouped into eight domains ‘assessment and diagnosis’, ‘aetiology and risk factors’, ‘pathophysiology’, ‘treatment of delirium’, ‘prevention’, ‘delirium and dementia’, ‘impact on people with delirium, informal caregivers and family’ and ‘health promotion and public education’. Academic experts and healthcare professionals were invited to rank each priority and each domain across two rounds. Round one consisted of a survey including the list of 72 potential education priorities which participants were asked to rank from one (not a priority) to five (essential priority). Items which did not reach consensus criteria following round one were re-distributed as round two of the survey and participants were asked to repeat this exercise for the shorter list of items. Additionally, in round two, participants were asked to rank the eight domains from most important to least important. Results: Eighty participants completed round one of the Delphi survey and 55 (68.75%) also completed round two. Following round one, 41 priorities were considered highly relevant and therefore met the criteria to be included in the final set of education priorities. An additional four items reached these criteria following round two and so the final set consists of 45 items. Priorities related to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment were consistently ranked highly whereas priorities related to pathophysiology and health promotion were consistently ranked lowest. Discussion: This Delphi study identified areas of education viewed as the highest priorities for healthcare profession students’ delirium education, drawn from a range of academics and healthcare professionals. The final set may help to inform the development of delirium education reflecting these priorities.

Background: Heart failure is a complex syndrome affecting 64 million people globally, with an average patient age of 76 years. Management challenges include medication titration difficulties and patient self-management issues. Care homes, housing approximately 20% of residents with heart failure, face unique challenges in managing this condition. This study aimed to investigate care home staff experiences in supporting residents with heart failure. Methods: A Glaserian grounded theory approach was employed to explore perceptions, challenges, and strategies used by care home staff in supporting residents with heart failure. Twenty care home staff members from Northern Ireland, with varied roles and experience levels, participated in online semi-structured interviews. These interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data collection and analysis occurred concurrently, following theoretical sampling principles, between February 2023 and March 2024. A three-stage coding process (open, axial, and selective) was used for analysis. Rigour was ensured through member checking, data source triangulation, and reflexivity. Ethical approval was obtained prior to data collection. Results: Three main categories were developed from the data: (1) Training, (2) Support, and (3) Communication. Training revealed that care home staff received limited education on heart failure management, primarily focused on acute settings rather than the chronic care needed in care homes. Support highlighted the various facilitators and barriers staff faced in making clinical decisions regarding heart failure care. Communication addressed the experiences of staff in engaging residents and their families about managing heart failure. These categories linked to the core category of (C) Empowerment, which encompassed the challenges staff faced in training, support, and communication. Empowerment illustrated how staff navigated these obstacles to provide effective heart failure care within the unique context of care homes. Discussion: This study highlights significant challenges in managing heart failure in care homes, including inadequate training, limited professional development, and insufficient support systems. Key barriers include a lack of specialist education tailored to long-term care settings and restricted access to heart failure specialists. Effective communication and proactive care were identified as critical needs, alongside holistic care approaches. Addressing these gaps through targeted education, specialist integration, and evidence-based strategies could empower staff, optimise care quality, and potentially improve outcomes for residents.