Assessment Protocol for Older Adults With Substance Use.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Substance Abuse Treatment
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Geriatric syndromes are prevalent in older adults within substance abuse treatment settings.
• Early identification and intervention are crucial for managing complex health needs in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate an age-specific assessment tool for geriatric syndromes in older adults (55+) at a substance abuse treatment center.
• To enhance nursing knowledge and improve the early detection of adverse outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement project involving training nursing staff on the Fulmer SPICES tool.
• Pretest-posttest nursing knowledge assessment and a 2-month pre/post implementation chart audit.

Main Results:

• Significant increase in nursing knowledge scores (mean increase of 2.49, p = .000).
• Increased identification of adverse outcomes, notably sleep problems (75.4%) in the target population.

Conclusions:

• The Fulmer SPICES tool effectively improved nursing knowledge and geriatric syndrome assessment.
• Targeted interventions are needed to address identified adverse outcomes like sleep disturbances in older adults in substance abuse treatment.