Comprehensive Care Transition: A Trial of an Enhanced Care Transition Process in Dementia

Overview

This pilot study examines the impact of an enhanced care transition process vs. usual care for persons with dementia admitted to a transitional unit (hospital or LTC) for management of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) with a planned discharge to long term care (LTC) facilities or other hospital units. Deficiencies in discharge processes can contribute to poor outcomes (e.g., readmissions), and there is a dearth of research on how to improve care transitions for persons with BPSD. The investigators aim to improve the care transition process for persons with dementia and BPSD utilizing an enhanced care transition process that will contain up to 6 elements: integrated behavioural care plans, videos, patient specific briefcase containing activities to reduce BPSD, in-person care transition meeting, in-person care demonstration (when possible), and follow up visits with a transition team. The ability to determine the effect of enhanced care transitions on the clinical course of patients with planned discharge to LTC or hospital may allow for improved outcomes and an overall increased efficiency of post discharge care.

The investigators have formulated an enhanced care transition process based on factors that have been documented to support care transitions in other clinical populations (e.g., Coleman, 2003 on persons with continuous complex needs; Viggiano, et al., 2012 on persons with mental health issues), along with novel package elements based on the investigators' experience working with persons with dementia and BPSD. The investigators propose to conduct a preliminary analysis of patient and staff outcomes comparing an enhanced care transition process with a control group receiving usual care. The investigators' proposed enhanced care transition process will contain 5 elements: 1. Unified transfer care document adapted to the post-care transition location 2. Videos of BPSD management to better communicate care provision, 3. Provision to -the post-care transition location a patient specific briefcase containing activities that help to reduce BPSD, 4. In-person care transition meeting between sites, including the family, to transfer knowledge, 5. In person care demonstration (when possible), and 6. Follow-up visits post transition with a transition team (a service already in existence but not consistently used). The investigators hope that with improved communication, discharge locations will be better equipped to manage BPSD, and reduce the likelihood of adverse events for both patients and staff.