Complaints represent an important metric for assessing the quality of nursing home (NH) care. Using the Automated Survey Processing Environment (ASPEN) Complaints/Incidents Tracking System dataset (2017), we examined the relationships between zero-deficiency complaints (ZDCs) and zero-deficiency substantiated complaints (ZDSCs) and the proportion of residents with dementia. NHs (N = 15,339) were separated into three groups-proportion of residents with dementia in the top, two middle, and the bottom quartiles. Negative binomial regressions assessed zero-deficiency complaint patterns in relation to NHs' proportion of residents with dementia, controlling for facility characteristics, staffing, and racial pattern. We reported average marginal effects (AMEs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). NHs in the top quartile yielded higher numbers of both ZDC (AME = .189, 95% CI: .102-.276, p < .001) and ZDSC (AME = .236, 95% CI: .094-.378, p = .001), than NHs in the bottom quartile. Results suggest a need for more uniform investigation processes and staff training to promote a more valid complaint process for residents with dementia.
- Keywords
- deficiency, dementia, nursing home, quality of care, substantiated complaint,
- MeSH
- Dementia * MeSH
- Homes for the Aged MeSH
- Quality of Health Care * MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Nursing Homes * MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Patient Satisfaction MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
BACKGROUND: Microcirculatory factors play an important role in amyloid-β (Aβ)-related neuropathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Transgenic (Tg) rat models of mutant Aβ deposition can enhance our understanding of this microvascular pathology. OBJECTIVE: Here we report stereology-based quantification and comparisons (between- and within-group) of microvessel length and number and associated parameters in hippocampal subregions in Tg model of AD in Fischer 344 rats and non-Tg littermates. METHODS: Systematic-random samples of tissue sections were processed and laminin immunostained to visualize microvessels through the entire hippocampus in Tg and non-Tg rats. A computer-assisted stereology system was used to quantify microvessel parameters including total number, total length, and associated densities in dentate gyrus (DG) and cornu ammonis (CA) subregions. RESULTS: Thin hair-like capillaries are common near Aβ plaques in hippocampal subregions of Tg rats. There are a 53% significant increase in average length per capillary across entire hippocampus (p≤0.04) in Tg compared to non-Tg rats; 49% reduction in capillary length in DG (p≤0.02); and, higher microvessel density in principal cell layers (p≤0.03). Furthermore, within-group comparisons confirm Tg but not non-Tg rats have significant increase in number density (p≤0.01) and potential diffusion distance (p≤0.04) of microvessels in principal cell layers of hippocampal subregions. CONCLUSION: We show the Tg deposition of human Aβ mutations in rats disrupts the wild-type microanatomy of hippocampal microvessels. Stereology-based microvascular parameters could promote the development of novel strategies for protection and the therapeutic management of AD.
- Keywords
- Alzheimer’s disease, TgF344-AD rat, capillary, hippocampus, microvessels, stereology,
- MeSH
- Alzheimer Disease pathology MeSH
- Plaque, Amyloid pathology MeSH
- Hippocampus pathology MeSH
- Rats MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Microvessels * metabolism pathology MeSH
- Disease Models, Animal MeSH
- Rats, Inbred F344 MeSH
- Rats, Transgenic metabolism MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Rats MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH
The goal was to examine risk factors and expenditures for early rehospitalization (within 30 days of discharge) for non-behavioral health conditions among Medicaid-enrolled Floridians over 8 years. There were 1,689,797 hospitalization episodes with 19% (N = 314,742) resulting in early rehospitalization. Total gross charges for early rehospitalization were over 13 billion dollars. In Cox proportional hazards regression adjusted for demographic and health covariates, drug use disorder was associated with 50% increased risk of early rehospitalization. Having major depressive disorder increased risk by 17%; psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, and alcohol use disorder increased risk of early rehospitalization slightly by 10, 6, and 6% respectively. The effect of dementia on risk was minimal at 2%. Risk of early rehospitalization decreased by 3.5% per year over the 8 years of the study. Attention to mental health problems, especially drug use disorder, may help further reduce rates of early readmission for non-behavioral health conditions.
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Mental Disorders * MeSH
- Risk Assessment MeSH
- Hospitalization * MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Medicaid * MeSH
- Substance-Related Disorders * MeSH
- Proportional Hazards Models MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Severity of Illness Index MeSH
- Patient Readmission * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Florida MeSH
- United States MeSH