Successful Care Conferences: Nursing Home Staff, Persons with Dementia, and Caregiver Perspectives

Objectives

The objective of this study was to identify best practices for nursing home (NH) virtual care conferences using Me & My Wishes—videos that document care preferences of residents, including those living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Videos are shared during care conferences with care partners and staff to ensure that the care provided aligns with the resident's wishes, especially as they approach the end of life.

Design

A qualitative descriptive design involving focus groups providing the perspective of 3 groups (people living with dementia, NH staff, and care partners) was used to determine what makes a successful care conference when the care conference is conducted virtually.

Setting and Participants

Convenience sampling was used to recruit focus group participants (ie, community advisors) from various geographic locations. Recruitment was facilitated through established relationships with community partner groups. Advisors included NH leaders, community-dwelling older adults, and care partners.

Methods

Six virtual focus group sessions were conducted from February to June 2023. A semistructured guide was used to identify key factors of successful virtual care conferences when using the Me & My Wishes intervention. Sessions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using content analysis.

Results

Three domains for successful virtual care conferences were identified. They are resident-driven, engaging, and structured. They include interdisciplinary care team members most familiar with the resident, prioritize the needs and preferences of residents to ensure they are central to the discussion, and encourage active participation of residents and care partners. Finally, care conferences are led by trained facilitators, with the entire interdisciplinary care team receiving training on conducting and participating in care conferences, including providing technology support to maximize resident and care partner engagement.

Conclusions and Implications

Successful care conferences, whether in-person or virtual, require structured approaches that prioritize resident involvement and include people who know the resident best.