The objective of this study was to elucidate the practice of visiting nurses involved in home palliative care of end-stage cancer patients living alone. We conducted semi-structured interviews with five visiting nurses who cared for such patients until their death, and analyzed their responses in a qualitative recursive manner. Based on the results, we identified the following aspects of nursing practice associated with care of these patients: controlling preventive symptoms to make private time comfortable; responding to the loneliness of living alone and fear of death; supporting patients to receive treatment at home respecting their wishes; finding out how patients wish to spend their final moment and supporting them by being there for them; supporting family members who are present at patient's deathbed; and providing information about, and coordinating, the specialties of the home palliative care team members. Visiting nurses prevented Patients' symptoms in cooperation with physicians, supported patient's lives during their treatment in cooperation with other home helpers, provided support to family members who are present at the patient's deathbed, and coordinated the specialties of the members of the home palliative care team.

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The purpose of this study was to clarify meaning and characteristics of concept of comfort in the English literatures about dementia care. The analysis was performed by the use of Rodger's approach. The results revealed 5 attributes, 2 antecedents, and 2 consequences. The attributes of comfort in dementia care included "responses caused by inner and outer stimuli," "multidimentional structure," individualized expression and viability of the level," "outcomes which care providers ought to pursue," "possibilities of progressive difficulty of expression and observable phenomena by care providers." The antecedents of comfort in dementia care included "existence of comfort needs," and "care focused on comfort." The consequences of comfort in dementia care included "expansion of possibilities," and "positive effects on surrounding people."

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This study set out, through anonymous questionnaires given to 38 women and college student participants pre and post program, to explore the effects of an educational program for cervical cancer prevention utilizing the Health Belief Model. It was found subjects benefitted fair knowledge of cervical cancer, laboratory screening procedure, and the purpose and effect of HPV vaccine through the program; there were significant improvements in the total score of the comprehension portion of the questionnaire post program (p<0.001). The increase in participants who responded 'I intend to have a laboratory screening' and the decrease in the 'I do not plan on having an HPV vaccination' response on the post program questionnaire suggests education helped foster preventive behaviors including cervical cancer screening. Six months post program it was possible to give 8 participants a follow up questionnaire. Of the 8, three had had Pap smear test without HPV vaccination. In interviews conducted one year later post program, participants expressed difficulties in preventive behaviors; Not having time for laboratory screenings and/or HPV vaccinations, being uncomfortable with gynecological exams, and cost for example. The educational program improved cervical cancer prevention awareness, but it is necessary to establish a more effective cervical cancer screening system in order to encourage cervical cancer preventive behaviors.

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The purpose of this study was to clarify the influence which ability of transferring on admission of the convalescent rehabilitation ward was related to the clinical course of hemiplegic patients. Subjects were 59 severe hemiplegic patients with first-ever stroke who were transferred from acute hospital. We divided subjects into two group based on ability of transferring on admission; "moderate assistance group (27 patients)" and "severe assistance group (32 patients)". We compared background factors, cognitive function, physical function, amount of exercise, activities of daily living (ADL), and process of rehabilitation and destination. No differences were observed in the background factors, cognitive function and amount of exercise and destination between the 2 groups. The leg strength on the non-paralyzed side at 2 weeks and amount of standing training at admission of patients in the moderate assistance group were greater than those in the severe assistance group. The ADL at admission, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks and 8 weeks after admission of patients in the moderate assistance group were greater than those in the severe assistance group. Duration of regain ambulation and the length of stay in the moderate assistance group were shorter than those in the severe assistance group. In order to shorten regaining ambulation and the length of stay, hemiplegic stroke patients should practice to regain ability of transferring at early times.

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In this study, a questionnaire survey was carried out in 76 occupational therapy (OT) students after comprehensive clinical training to examine differences in self-recognition of their understanding of cognitive dysfunction and their capability of responding to it. As a result, unilateral spatial neglect (USN), disorientation, and perseveration which caused gap between "understanding" and "capability" of responding to them in both knowledge and practicality aspects in the students. Especially, result of USN suggests that the students were essentially unable to understand the visual world of the USN patients, although they had a practical image of the disorder. Thus, OT students might have no confidence in providing explanations and in actually responding to USN patients. In addition, the results of correlation analysis of knowledge and practicality revealed that poor understanding of symptoms of compulsive manipulation of tools led to poor understanding of the influence of cognitive dysfunction on patients' lives, and students' inability to explain symptoms resulted in their inability to actually respond to it.

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