Clinical Research Directory

Use of the KASPARD System for Fall Prevention in Nursing Homes

Falls are a frequent cause of admission to nursing homes \[2\]. It is also the most frequently reported adverse event in these institutions. The prevention of falls in EHPAD must mobilise several levers of action and involve all staff. It must be included in the establishment's project in the same way as the policy on the proper use of restraints \[21\]. Home automation and new technologies can contribute to the prevention of falls and their consequences. Most of the existing solutions on the market are either fall detection solutions based on a watch or pendant or rise detection solutions based on a sub-mattress or floor mat. All of these solutions work with a contact and often require a daily set-up or check by the care teams. But the real challenge today for new technologies is to prevent falls in the elderly, by directly addressing the risk factors. KASPARD is a non-contact (remote sensors) and non-intrusive (no video image, it uses point cloud technology) solution for detecting falls, excessive wandering and nocturnal activities in a nursing home. The information is transmitted securely via the wifi network to a mobile phone (or TSI/DECT) and to a computer. The KASPARD solution, which is already on the market (non-medical CE marking), is used in several EHPADs in Belgium and France. It is not a medical device. To date, it has a sensitivity and specificity of over 90% (manufacturer's unpublished data). We wish to verify the effectiveness of the KASPARD technology for the prevention of falls in EHPAD, suggested for the moment by an observational study, with the help of a multi-centre clinical study

The Effect of Swallowing Exercise and Maneuver Program For Older Adults With Dysphagia in Nursing Home

This clinical trial aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured swallowing exercise and maneuver program for older adults with dysphagia living in a nursing home. Dysphagia, or difficulty in swallowing, is common in elderly populations and may lead to malnutrition, dehydration, and aspiration pneumonia. In this study, 72 participants aged 60 years and older were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group received a combined swallowing exercise and maneuver program-including Masako Maneuver, Chin Tuck Against Resistance, Supraglottic Swallow, and Super-Supraglottic Swallow-performed three times daily before meals over a six-week period. The control group received standard care, including upright sitting posture during meals. Swallowing ability was measured using the EAT-10 questionnaire. The intervention group showed significant improvement in swallowing scores, while no meaningful changes were observed in the control group. This study suggests that nurse-led swallowing exercises can be a safe, simple, and effective strategy to improve swallowing function and quality of life in older adults living in long-term care settings.

Evaluation of the Use of a Novel Oral Health Screening Instrument by Caregivers in Nursing Homes

BACKGROUND: Oral health of nursing home residents is often poor. Oral health is related to general health, quality of life and well-being. Health care providers in nursing homes can be seen as important intermediaries to improve oral health as they are responsible for the residents' daily care and as they could regularly check resident's oral health. The goal of this interventional study is to evaluate the use of a new oral health screening tool for older adults in nursing homes (OHS-interRAI) in an everyday context. This tool is included in the Belgian version of the International Resident Assessment Instrument for long-term care facilities and will be used by healthcare providers without a dental background. The evaluation will be done at different levels using mixed methods. The main questions this study aims to answer at level of the residents are: * What is the effect of regular oral health assessment on oral health of the residents? * How do residents perceive oral health and experience the regular oral health assessments? At level of the health care providers the main questions are: * How do they experience the use of the OHS-interRAI for oral health assessments? * To what extent are the assessments by health care providers comparable to assessments performed by oral health professionals? METHODS: This research will compare the outcomes of nursing homes using the OHS-interRAI with outcomes of nursing homes using the oral health screening tool which is currently used in Belgian nursing homes. Nursing homes will be assigned randomly to the different groups. Both healthcare providers and residents assign for participation. Healthcare providers will follow a training on how to perform the screening with the OHS-interRAI and to monitor residents' oral health. Residents agree to regular oral health assessments by their healthcare providers every six months over a 2-years period.