Effectiveness of Expanded Implementation of STAR-VA for Managing XXXX -Related Behaviors Among Veterans.

@entity308 @entity146 @entity303 @entity148 @entity2146
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Nonpharmacological, psychosocial approaches are first-line treatments for managing behavioral symptoms in @entity303 , but they can be challenging to implement in long-term care settings. The Veterans Health Administration implemented STAR-VA, an interdisciplinary behavioral approach for managing challenging @entity303 -related behaviors in its Community Living Center (CLCs, nursing home care) settings. This study describes how the program was implemented and provides an evaluation of Veteran clinical outcomes and staff feedback on the intervention. DESIGN AND METHODS: One mental health professional and registered nurse team from 17 CLCs completed STAR-VA training, which entailed an experiential workshop followed by 6 months of expert consultation as they worked with their teams to implement STAR-VA with Veterans identified to have challenging @entity303 -related behaviors. The frequency and severity of @entity146 and symptoms of @entity308 , @entity148 , and @entity2146 were evaluated at baseline and at intervention completion. Staff provided feedback regarding STAR-VA feasibility and impact. RESULTS: Seventy-one Veterans completed the intervention. Behaviors clustered into 6 types: care refusal or resistance, @entity2146 , @entity146 , vocalization, wandering, and other. Frequency and severity of @entity146 and symptoms of @entity308 , @entity148 , and @entity2146 all significantly decreased, with overall effect sizes of 1 or greater. Staff rated both benefits for Veterans and program feasibility favorably. IMPLICATIONS: This evaluation supports the feasibility and effectiveness of STAR-VA, an interdisciplinary, behavioral intervention for managing @entity146 among residents with @entity303 in CLCs.
