COSMOS implementation

– COSMOS is a unique tool to provide good quality of care for people with dementia and cognitive decline, says Anne Marie Hanson, senior advisor for dementia in Bærum Municipality.

By reducing pain, preventing unnecessary use of medication and ensuring better communication between patients, relatives and nursing home, - COSMOS provides new opportunities to improve nursing home patients' quality of life.

COSMOS (COmmunication, Systematic pain assessment and treatment, Medication review, Organization of activities, and Safety) is a practical intervention aimed to improve the quality of life in nursing home patients. The intervention combines the most effective research results to improve staff competence, and patients’ mental health, safety, quality of life and to reduce psychotropic drug use and costs.

Improving staff competence

COSMOS intervention staff and patients in Bærum were closely monitored by the research team from SEFAS during 9 months. Through better communication and advanced care planning, organized activity, pain assessment and pain treatment and medication review, the goals are to reduce pain, reduce the use of medication as well as improve staff competence. The COSMOS project combines the most effective research results from international research.

The Municipality of Bærum has started implementing COSMOS in all of their 14 nursing homes.

– Our main goal is to improve the quality of life for our patients. Increased interdisciplinary collaboration improves staff competence and quality of care.

International attention

The COSMOS project and data collection is completed at the nursing homes, and the research team is working with analyzes and scientific publications. A total of 545 patients at 67 different nursing departments in the eastern and western part of Norway were included. Staff at each unit, patients' relatives and leaders at nursing homes and in the municipalities were involved. This makes COSMOS one of the most comprehensive implementation studies in nursing homes worldwide.

The study has already received international attention, and the COSMOS study has been presented at international conferences in Hong Kong, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Spain.

Read more about: SEFAS research