Focusing nursing care on the older person

The second article in our two-part series on gerontological nursing features two case studies that flag up examples of good practice in two clinical areas. The first describes a nurse manager's four-year catering services review, which resulted in a new approach to nutrition and benefited older patients in a rural hospital. The second describes how a charge nurse and staff on a long-stay elderly care ward used a psychosocial approach to end ward routines and introduce individualised care. The results, although not yet formally assessed, are encouraging and staff hope their experience and collaboration with the University of Paisley will help other nurses working in the specialty.