Projects and Commitments
Don't look - Article & Concept
Article in NOVAcura 8/22 by Claudia Lötscher, Daniela Braun, Ina Otzen, and Veronika Kobler. A campaign by the Academic Society for Gerontological Nursing.
"DON'T LOOK AWAY!" In order to highlight key issues in gerontological care, scientific facts are presented in the form of images and words that encourage reflection and discussion. "LET IT RUN" and "MORE IS LESS" present the topics of mobility and the skill grade mix in gerontological care in a new way. See for yourself!
Link to the concept(Version 2, 2023)
More is less
More targeted use of nursing staff leads to fewer complications
What does this topic trigger in you? What does good care and support mean to you? How would you like to be cared for and supported in old age? Have you thought about what is needed to ensure that older people receive high-quality care and support? How many caregivers make up a care team? What training, knowledge, and skills are necessary to ensure that older people have a better subjective quality of life and fewer complications during treatment?
In public, the various nursing professionals are often collectively referred to as nurses. However, a nursing team in an acute care hospital, a long-term care facility, or even in the outpatient sector (Spitex) is made up of a group of nurses with different training backgrounds. This is referred to as a mix of skills and degrees.
There is now evidence to suggest that there is a correlation between the number of caregivers, their level of qualification, and patient mortality rates. There are also effects on readmission rates, shorter hospital stays, and unplanned hospital admissions.
Read more about this in the further information.
Let it run
More staff, more exercise for the elderly, lower costs.
The motif "Let it flow" is a connection between scientific work and artistic processing in the form of images.
The images and texts are intended to raise awareness of the importance of high-quality care and support for older people in our society. We want to encourage reflection and promote public discourse on socially and professionally relevant topics in gerontological care.
The current image may stimulate discussion and questions along the lines of:
What is the current state of care quality and patient safety for older people in their home environment, in hospital, or in retirement and nursing homes? Is everything running smoothly, or are we just letting things slide? Do we just leave older people lying down after surgery? Do we believe that sitting for hours on end is good for older people? Are people with dementia allowed to simply "walk around" in retirement and nursing homes? Are older people accompanied to the toilet on foot or are they given incontinence pads instead?
Read more about this in the further information.
Statement on the AFG's popular initiative "For strong nursing care"
The academic professional associations for nursing in geriatric care, acute care, women's health, gerontological care, oncology care, pediatric care, psychiatric care, and Spitex care fully endorse the popular initiative "For Strong Nursing Care" and clearly support it.
Read here the Statement on the nursing initiative
Further information can be found on the official website pflegeinitiative.ch: Link to the websitenursing initiative
Practical examples Covid
Dear Sirs and Madams
Dear colleagues
The lockdown in spring and the protective measures, some of which have since been reimposed, particularly for elderly people in long-term care facilities, are a cause for concern and concern us deeply.
The practical examples are intended to show how the limited contact options in spring 2020 were addressed. The aim is to pass on positive experiences from practice, learn from each other, and share resources and ideas. In the best case scenario, this will succeed in improving the quality of life of elderly and very elderly people during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic at various levels.
This document is not exhaustive, and we would be delighted to hear about your positive experiences in order to promote exchange. gerontologie@vfp-apsi.chFurther feedback is also very welcome.
Let us not forget—especially in the face of all these challenges—that humans are social beings and thrive on interpersonal encounters; and let us carefully weigh up individual needs, risks, and the consequences of social isolation.
Thank you very much.
Jeanine Altherr
President of AFG Gerontological Care
20210131_AFG_Social Isolation_Practical Examples_e.pdf
Dear Sirs and Madams,
Dear colleagues
The lockdown in spring and the once again very strict protective measures, especially for elderly people in long-term care facilities, concern us and move us emotionally.
These practical examples show how limited opportunities for contact were overcome in the spring of 2020. The aim is to pass on positive experiences from practice, learn from each other, and share resources and ideas. Ideally, this will help to improve the quality of life of older and very old people at various levels during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
This document is not exhaustive, and we would be happy to include any positive experiences you may have had in order to encourage sharing:gerontologie@vfp-apsi.chWe welcome any further comments.
Let us not forget—especially in the face of all the challenges—that humans are social beings and thrive on interpersonal encounters; and let us carefully balance individual needs, risks, and the consequences of social isolation.
Thank you very much.
Jeanine Altherr
President of AFG Gerontological Care
20210131_AFG_Social isolation_practical examples_i.pdf
Article Curaviva 04/20: Doing the right thing
"Five measures that are often used but need to be reconsidered."
Abstract: A broad-based campaign is attempting to raise awareness among doctors, nursing staff, and the general public that sometimes less is more, even in medicine. What recommendations have been made for nursing homes, and how do these affect their work?
Link to the article Gruber_2020
Science Apero, Bern
AFG Gerontological Care presented itself at the Science Apero in Bern with a poster on the 5 NoGos.
Top 5 List 2019
The Top 5 list (no-gos) is now ready to be made public in institutions, for training purposes, or simply to be forwarded. Smarter Medicine / Choosing Wisely Switzerland responded very quickly and extremely positively to the submission of the Top 5 list and will make it available on its website shortly.
Symposium on no-gos in geriatric care 2018
On September 26, 2018, the symposium "What are 'no-gos' in geriatric care? Recommendations based on the 'Choosing Wisely' initiative" took place in Fribourg with around 80 participants at the HEdS Fribourg. In the afternoon, the Academic Society for Gerontological Nursing of the Swiss Association for Nursing Science (VFP) presented a list of five interventions that should be avoided in the care and treatment of geriatric patients in everyday clinical practice.
AFG President Jeanine Altherr opened the symposium and explained the reasons that had prompted her to address the issue of "don'ts" within the AFG. Prof. em. Dr. Daniel Scheidegger, President of the SAMS, board member of the supporting association "smarter medicine – Choosing Wisely Switzerland" and member of the VFP's patronage committee, gave a captivating keynote speech in which he explained in an entertaining way why the Choosing Wisely initiative is so important, what it means for the Swiss healthcare system, and what role nursing can play in it. He motivated the participants and the VFP to submit top 5 lists to smarter medicine and to actively participate in the campaign.
The five selected no-gos were first presented in plenary and then discussed in workshops—both took place in parallel in German- and French-speaking groups.
"Don't let older people lie in bed or just sit in a chair" - Anja Ulrich and Manuela Wyss showed how simple plans and pictures can be used to motivate older people to become more mobile.
"Avoid measures that restrict movement in older people" – Jeanine Altherr and Corinne Steinbrüchel impressively demonstrated the negative spiral of fixation.
"Do not wake elderly people at night for routine care procedures unless their health condition or care needs absolutely require it" – this topic was presented by Andrea Christen and Natalie Battaglia and introduced with a quote stating that sleep is to the whole person what winding is to a clock.
"Do not insert or leave a urinary catheter without specific indication" - Prof. Dr. Susi Saxer and Claudia Lötscher led this highly technical but no less important no-go.
"Avoid administering psychotropic drugs to prevent and/or treat delirium without clarifying the causes" – Eva Ziegler and Dr. Franziska Zúñiga emphasized the urgency of non-pharmacological approaches to the prevention and treatment of delirium.
The French-language workshop on the five topics was led by Stephanie Kipfer and Dr. Cédric Mabire.
Finally, the discussions from the workshops were summarized in a plenary session, and the afternoon was rounded off with drinks and snacks. We would like to express our sincere thanks to HEdS Fribourg for providing the venue and to the organizing committee consisting of Manuela Friedli, Dalit Jäckel, Stephanie Kipfer, Claudia Lötscher, Corinne Steinbrüchel, and Eva Ziegler. The VFP will continue to actively pursue the topic of "Choosing Wisely."
Symposium - Files
Loneliness – it affects us all
Presentations from August 29, 2023
Here you will find a very readable summary of the event:
Report on the symposium on loneliness
Please find the papers and presentations attached:
Don't look - Article & Concept
Article in NOVAcura 8/22 by Claudia Lötscher, Daniela Braun, Ina Otzen, and Veronika Kobler. A campaign by the Academic Society for Gerontological Nursing.
"DON'T LOOK AWAY!" In order to highlight key issues in gerontological care, scientific facts are presented in the form of images and words that encourage reflection and discussion. "LET IT RUN" and "MORE IS LESS" present the topics of mobility and the skill grade mix in gerontological care in a new way. See for yourself!
Link to the concept(Version 2, 2023)
More is less
More targeted use of nursing staff leads to fewer complications
What does this topic trigger in you? What does good care and support mean to you? How would you like to be cared for and supported in old age? Have you thought about what is needed to ensure that older people receive high-quality care and support? How many caregivers make up a care team? What training, knowledge, and skills are necessary to ensure that older people have a better subjective quality of life and fewer complications during treatment?
In public, the various nursing professionals are often collectively referred to as nurses. However, a nursing team in an acute care hospital, a long-term care facility, or even in the outpatient sector (Spitex) is made up of a group of nurses with different training backgrounds. This is referred to as a mix of skills and degrees.
There is now evidence to suggest that there is a correlation between the number of caregivers, their level of qualification, and patient mortality rates. There are also effects on readmission rates, shorter hospital stays, and unplanned hospital admissions.
Read more about this in the further information.
Let it run
More staff, more exercise for the elderly, lower costs.
The motif "Let it flow" is a connection between scientific work and artistic processing in the form of images.
The images and texts are intended to raise awareness of the importance of high-quality care and support for older people in our society. We want to encourage reflection and promote public discourse on socially and professionally relevant topics in gerontological care.
The current image may stimulate discussion and questions along the lines of:
What is the current state of care quality and patient safety for older people in their home environment, in hospital, or in retirement and nursing homes? Is everything running smoothly, or are we just letting things slide? Do we just leave older people lying down after surgery? Do we believe that sitting for hours on end is good for older people? Are people with dementia allowed to simply "walk around" in retirement and nursing homes? Are older people accompanied to the toilet on foot or are they given incontinence pads instead?
Read more about this in the further information.
Statement on the AFG's popular initiative "For strong nursing care"
The academic professional associations for nursing in geriatric care, acute care, women's health, gerontological care, oncology care, pediatric care, psychiatric care, and Spitex care fully endorse the popular initiative "For Strong Nursing Care" and clearly support it.
Read here the Statement on the nursing initiative
Further information can be found on the official website pflegeinitiative.ch: Link to the websitenursing initiative
Practical examples Covid
Dear Sirs and Madams
Dear colleagues
The lockdown in spring and the protective measures, some of which have since been reimposed, particularly for elderly people in long-term care facilities, are a cause for concern and concern us deeply.
The practical examples are intended to show how the limited contact options in spring 2020 were addressed. The aim is to pass on positive experiences from practice, learn from each other, and share resources and ideas. In the best case scenario, this will succeed in improving the quality of life of elderly and very elderly people during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic at various levels.
This document is not exhaustive, and we would be delighted to hear about your positive experiences in order to promote exchange. gerontologie@vfp-apsi.chFurther feedback is also very welcome.
Let us not forget—especially in the face of all these challenges—that humans are social beings and thrive on interpersonal encounters; and let us carefully weigh up individual needs, risks, and the consequences of social isolation.
Thank you very much.
Jeanine Altherr
President of AFG Gerontological Care
20210131_AFG_Social Isolation_Practical Examples_e.pdf
Dear Sirs and Madams,
Dear colleagues
The lockdown in spring and the once again very strict protective measures, especially for elderly people in long-term care facilities, concern us and move us emotionally.
These practical examples show how limited opportunities for contact were overcome in the spring of 2020. The aim is to pass on positive experiences from practice, learn from each other, and share resources and ideas. Ideally, this will help to improve the quality of life of older and very old people at various levels during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
This document is not exhaustive, and we would be happy to include any positive experiences you may have had in order to encourage sharing:gerontologie@vfp-apsi.chWe welcome any further comments.
Let us not forget—especially in the face of all the challenges—that humans are social beings and thrive on interpersonal encounters; and let us carefully balance individual needs, risks, and the consequences of social isolation.
Thank you very much.
Jeanine Altherr
President of AFG Gerontological Care
20210131_AFG_Social isolation_practical examples_i.pdf
Article Curaviva 04/20: Doing the right thing
"Five measures that are often used but need to be reconsidered."
Abstract: A broad-based campaign is attempting to raise awareness among doctors, nursing staff, and the general public that sometimes less is more, even in medicine. What recommendations have been made for nursing homes, and how do these affect their work?
Link to the article Gruber_2020
Science Apero, Bern
AFG Gerontological Care presented itself at the Science Apero in Bern with a poster on the 5 NoGos.
Top 5 List 2019
The Top 5 list (no-gos) is now ready to be made public in institutions, for training purposes, or simply to be forwarded. Smarter Medicine / Choosing Wisely Switzerland responded very quickly and extremely positively to the submission of the Top 5 list and will make it available on its website shortly.
Symposium on no-gos in geriatric care 2018
On September 26, 2018, the symposium "What are 'no-gos' in geriatric care? Recommendations based on the 'Choosing Wisely' initiative" took place in Fribourg with around 80 participants at the HEdS Fribourg. In the afternoon, the Academic Society for Gerontological Nursing of the Swiss Association for Nursing Science (VFP) presented a list of five interventions that should be avoided in the care and treatment of geriatric patients in everyday clinical practice.
AFG President Jeanine Altherr opened the symposium and explained the reasons that had prompted her to address the issue of "don'ts" within the AFG. Prof. em. Dr. Daniel Scheidegger, President of the SAMS, board member of the supporting association "smarter medicine – Choosing Wisely Switzerland" and member of the VFP's patronage committee, gave a captivating keynote speech in which he explained in an entertaining way why the Choosing Wisely initiative is so important, what it means for the Swiss healthcare system, and what role nursing can play in it. He motivated the participants and the VFP to submit top 5 lists to smarter medicine and to actively participate in the campaign.
The five selected no-gos were first presented in plenary and then discussed in workshops—both took place in parallel in German- and French-speaking groups.
"Don't let older people lie in bed or just sit in a chair" - Anja Ulrich and Manuela Wyss showed how simple plans and pictures can be used to motivate older people to become more mobile.
"Avoid measures that restrict movement in older people" – Jeanine Altherr and Corinne Steinbrüchel impressively demonstrated the negative spiral of fixation.
"Do not wake elderly people at night for routine care procedures unless their health condition or care needs absolutely require it" – this topic was presented by Andrea Christen and Natalie Battaglia and introduced with a quote stating that sleep is to the whole person what winding is to a clock.
"Do not insert or leave a urinary catheter without specific indication" - Prof. Dr. Susi Saxer and Claudia Lötscher led this highly technical but no less important no-go.
"Avoid administering psychotropic drugs to prevent and/or treat delirium without clarifying the causes" – Eva Ziegler and Dr. Franziska Zúñiga emphasized the urgency of non-pharmacological approaches to the prevention and treatment of delirium.
The French-language workshop on the five topics was led by Stephanie Kipfer and Dr. Cédric Mabire.
Finally, the discussions from the workshops were summarized in a plenary session, and the afternoon was rounded off with drinks and snacks. We would like to express our sincere thanks to HEdS Fribourg for providing the venue and to the organizing committee consisting of Manuela Friedli, Dalit Jäckel, Stephanie Kipfer, Claudia Lötscher, Corinne Steinbrüchel, and Eva Ziegler. The VFP will continue to actively pursue the topic of "Choosing Wisely."
Symposium - Files