Clinical Research Directory

Clinical Assessment and Treatment in the Nursing Home as an Alternative to Hospital Admission

This multicenter, cluster-randomized, unblinded quality-improvement study evaluates whether home-based clinical assessment by municipal acute care teams can safely reduce hospital admissions among nursing home residents experiencing acute illness or clinical deterioration during out-of-hours periods. Participating nursing homes in the Capital Region of Denmark will be randomized to either usual care (contacting the regional medical helpline, 1813) or the intervention pathway, in which nursing home staff contact a municipal acute care team directly. The acute care team performs an on-site clinical assessment and, when needed, consults a senior physician in the hospital emergency department to establish a treatment and observation plan, which may include continued management at the nursing home under hospital responsibility. The study compares the intervention with usual care with respect to hospital admissions and mortality among nursing home residents.

Effects of Exergaming and Autogenic Relaxation on Psychological Well-Being in Nursing Home Residents

This interventional clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of Antroyun (exergaming) and autogenic relaxation techniques on psychological well-being and life engagement among older adults living in nursing homes. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Antroyun intervention group, autogenic relaxation group, and a control group. Interventions were applied twice per week for eight weeks. The results indicated that both interventions had a significant effect on improving psychological well-being and life engagement. The Antroyun group showed faster and more marked improvements in earlier follow-ups, while the autogenic relaxation group demonstrated sustained benefits in later follow-ups. The control group did not show any significant changes over time. Additionally, in the Antroyun group, the number of game wins was positively correlated with improvements in psychological well-being and life engagement scores. This study was carried out as part of a doctoral dissertation at Sivas Cumhuriyet University.

Sing Out Loud: A Choral Singing Program for Persons Living With Dementia

This study intends to investigate whether a singing programme for nursing home residents living with dementia can reduce the mental and physiological effects of dementia. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does participating in the Sing Out Loud (SOL) singing intervention lead to an improvement in the physiological well-being (increase in oxytocin and reduction in cortisol levels) of persons living with dementia (PWDs) in nursing homes? 2. Will participation in the SOL singing intervention result in an improvement in PWDs' overall mood, temperament, and mental health (indicated by symptoms such as apathy, aggression, and depression). Researchers will compare the singing group to the control group to see if they exhibit reduced levels of apathy, aggression, and depression, and whether their levels of oxytocin and cortisol (collected via salivary biomarkers) have increased and decreased, respectively. Researchers will compare the SOL singing intervention with a waitlist control group to see if the SOL singing intervention increases the feelings of social connection, reduces stress, or improves the symptoms of dementia in nursing home residents. Participants will be randomly assigned to a singing intervention or waitlist control group. The intervention involves an 8-week long singing programme with one practice session a week, culminating in an additional full dress rehearsal and private showcase performance for their family members at a concert venue.