Public sector residential aged care: identifying novel associations between quality indicators and other demographic and health-related factors

Objective : To explore associations among quality indicators (QI; e.g. pressure ulcers, falls and/or fractures, physical restraint, use of multiple medications, unplanned weight loss) of the Victorian Public Sector Residential Aged Care Services (VPSRACS) with other demographic and health-related factors.

Methods : Data for 380 residents over a 3-month period were extracted retrospectively from client databases at four VPSRAC facilities.

Results : Four significant logistic regression models were developed. The strongest models related to falls and polypharmacy. Significant associations for these models included the following: (1) residents with a higher body mass index were 6% less likely (95% confidence interval (CI) 1%–11%) to fall, whereas high levels of cognitive impairment increased the risk of falling by 8% (95% CI 2%–14%); (2) being ambulant with a gait aid more than doubled the risk of falling compared with non-ambulant residents (95% CI 19%–546%); and (3) higher cognitive impairment was associated with a 6% (95% CI 1%–11%) reduction in the likelihood of polypharmacy.

Conclusions : Identification of significant relationships between the VPSRACS QI and other demographic and health-related factors is a preliminary step towards a more in-depth understanding of the factors that influence the QI and predict adverse events.

Friends of the library groups in health sciences libraries.

The Houston Academy of Medicine--Texas Medical Center (HAM--TMC) Library collected data on friends of the library groups from 103 health sciences libraries, using a mail questionnaire. Sixteen of the responding libraries had independent friends groups; seven had friends groups that were subordinate to a university group. The sixteen independent groups gave as their major purposes (1) to raise money for their associated library and (2) to develop support for their library. These groups contributed an average of $4,870 a year to their libraries, the money being used primarily to purchase rare books and working-collection books and to sponsor social events. The subordinate groups contributed relatively little money to the health sciences libraries responding to the survey.