Suicide among Nursing Home Residents: Development of Recommendations for Prevention Using a Nominal Group Technique

ABSTRACT

This research aimed to develop and prioritize recommendations for prevention of suicide among nursing home residents. The study employed a nominal group technique, comprising three rounds, including two forums and a follow-up survey to prioritize recommendations for prevention. Participants included experts and stakeholders in aged care, geriatric psychiatry, suicide prevention, and public policy. The study was conducted and described in accordance with the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies (COREQ). Nine participants (n = 6 males, 66%) developed eleven recommendations for prevention. The top three prioritized recommendations included expanding state and national suicide prevention frameworks, aligning nursing home life with community living, and improving residents’ access to mental health services. The recommendations provide a foundation for suicide prevention strategies in Australian nursing homes and contribute to the limited international knowledge base on prevention of suicide among nursing home residents.

KEYWORDS:

• Suicide
• prevention
• older adults
• nursing homes
• long term care

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary material

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Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Australian Government Department of Social Services.