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Emotions and perceptions of elderly patients during the care pathway in healthcare settings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 August 2025

F. Franza
Affiliation:
”Villa dei Pini”, Psychiatric rehabilitation center
A. Franza*
Affiliation:
Neamente Neuroscience Association, Avellino
G. Conte
Affiliation:
Il Filo di Arianna” –Alzheimer’s Disease Center Social Cooperative, Venosa
L. Roselli
Affiliation:
Healthcare Residence, RASS1 “Villa Caterina”, Pescopagano (PZ)
B. Solomita
Affiliation:
”Villa dei Pini”, Psychiatric rehabilitation center
M. Minò
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center “Don Tonino Bello” - Assoc. M.I.T.A.G. - Onlus, Brindisi
A. Vacca
Affiliation:
Mental Health Department, ASL Taranto, Grottaglie - Manduria, Italy
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

The number of elderly people requiring social and health care support in the last years of life is constantly increasing. The consequence is a significant increase in the number of guests in assisted nursing homes. The elderly patient, collaborating with healthcare professionals, becomes the protagonist of the entire care process. The places and times of care, together with the lived experience and the emotions felt, are just some dimensions of humanization, dignity of care and dignified care. This recognition of the patient experience within the definition of quality of care is associated with better clinical outcomes and patient safety. Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREM) are psychometrically validated questionnaires returned directly by patients and aim to provide a standardized assessment of individual care experiences.

Objectives

Assess the emotionality, dignity, depressive symptoms of the elderly patient without significant psychiatric disorders at the time of admission to a place of care.

Methods

Sixty-seven elderly subjects (28 F, 38 M) were recruited in some elderly residential facilities (total mean age (yrs)(±SD): 75.64 ±5.96)

Inclusion criteria

age ≥ 65 years; MMSE ≥20; absence of overt diagnosis of psychiatric or neurodegenerative disorders (evaluation with SCID-5-CV). All patients were given a PREM questionnaire at the beginning and during the care pathway. All patients were administered at baseline (T0), after 6 months (T1) and after 1 year (T2) the following evaluation rating scales:

  • - Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) (only T0); Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI); Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS); Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF); Quality Life Index (QLi)

The data were statistically analyzed with the EZAnalyze 3.0 software for the Excel platform.

Results

Tables 1 and 2 show the results obtained with each scale analyzed. On the PDI scale, the ANOVA results indicate that at least two of the repeated measures differed significantly [Mean scores ± Std. Dev: (T0) 63.388 ± 22.042; (T1): 57.313 ±21.159; (T2): 49.985 ±17.418]. The data obtained with the GDS scale showed no variation during the observational period. Although the differences were not statistically significant, the data indicate that no increases in depressive symptoms were observed. I results obtained with the QLi showed that the ANOVA results indicate that at least two of the repeated measures differed significantly [Mean scores ± SD: (T0) 3.358 ± 1.164; (T1): 6.075 ±1.222; (T2): 6.657 ±1.213]. Similar results were observed with the GAF scale.

Image 1:

Image 2:

Conclusions

Intervention programs that allow older residents to express their emotions and observations are not only beneficial for corporate welfare, but also promote a sense of empowerment and involvement. Our small observational study has shown that these programs can significantly improve residents’ quality of life and protect against the onset of depressive symptoms.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

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Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
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