Post- Operative Care of the Older Adult with Dementia, a Practice Development Proposal

Abstract

Introduction - The older population in the UK is currently larger than the under 16s and is set to increase by 61% by 2032 along with the cases of dementia. There are currently 850,000 older adults living with dementia and this is forecast to increase to 1 million by 2025. These predicted increases would bring with them more and more specialist areas caring for this vulnerable group, specifically post-operative care. Literature Review - Older adults with dementia have been found to suffer from more post-operative complications such as surgical site infection (SSI), urinary tract infection (UTI) and respiratory issues. Staff working in acute care areas often feel that they lack skills and knowledge to care for this vulnerable group who may not always receive optimal patient centered care. Methodology - Using the practice development journey potential areas for improvement will be highlighted from the staff working in the post-anaesthetic unit. The intervention will be based on the staff's beliefs and values, and will be centered on a shared vision for practice in people with dementia. The intervention will comprise the approaches the staff choose to achieve the overall aim to reduce post-operative complications. Potential ethical issues have been considered. Conclusion - With the cases of dementia continuing to increase it is important that the care we provide is meeting the patient's post-operative care needs and is of the highest, person centered, standard. It is important that the older adult with dementia does not have a prolonged hospital stay due to potentially avoidable post-operative complications.