Care work and quality of care for older people: a review of the research literature

2001 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirina Hannan ◽  
Ian J Norman ◽  
Sally J Redfern
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Work Satisfaction ◽  
Well Being ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health And Social Care

There is considerable research on work satisfaction and stress of care staff on the one hand and on quality of care and well-being of older people on the other. However, very little research in continuing-care settings for older people (nursing homes, residential homes and long-stay wards) links perceptions of workers (work satisfaction and stress) with the process of care (quality of care) and outcomes for residents/patients (well-being). This is a notable omission, given the emphasis of government policy on improving quality of health and social care services for vulnerable elderly people in the UK. The White Papers, The New NHS and Modernising Social Services and the National Priority Guidance for Health and Social Services for 2000–2003, all emphasize the importance of services that are responsive to local needs and which maintain and promote independence. The Centre for Policy on Ageing has been commissioned by the Department of Health to develop national standards for nursing and residential home care services for older people. This work will build upon recommendations of the Burgner Report and Achieving a Better Home Life, which identified areas for benchmarking. The national standards proposed under the forthcoming National Service Framework for Older People will underpin new legislation to regulate care services.

scholarly journals Understanding the Link between Family Caregiver Quality of Life and the Care Provided to Older People With Dementia

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 153-154
Author(s):  
Afeez Hazzan
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiver ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Dementia is one of the most rapidly growing diseases in the United States. In 2018, the direct costs to American society of caring for older people with dementia was approximately $277 billion. Primary informal caregivers are mainly responsible for the care of older people with dementia including Alzheimer’s disease. Caregivers perform a myriad of duties ranging from shopping for their loved ones’ groceries, helping with medications, and managing finances. The caregiving role becomes more demanding as the disease progresses over time, and studies have shown that the quality-of-life (QoL) experienced by caregivers of older adults who have dementia is lower than the QoL of caregivers for older people who do not have dementia. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no research conducted to investigate whether lower caregiver QoL affects the level or quality of care that caregivers provide to persons with dementia. In the current study, we interviewed family caregivers living in Rochester, New York to inquire about their quality of life and the care provided to older people living with dementia. Further, caregivers completed the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) as well as a draft questionnaire for measuring the quality of care provided to older people living with dementia. Both quantitative and qualitative findings from this study reveals important relationships between family caregiver QoL and the care provided, including the impact of social support and financial well-being. The study findings could have significant impact, particularly for the provision of much needed support for family caregivers.

Mental Health and Social Care Providers Facing Requests of Assisted suicide from Elderly in Nursing Homes in Switzerland

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S11-S12
Author(s):  
D.A. Castelli Dransart ◽  
S. Voélin ◽  
S. Elena
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Older People ◽  
Assisted Suicide ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Home Care Services ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Competing Interest

IntroductionIn some Swiss states, right-to-die associations are allowed to assist older people in nursing homes provided that certain requirements are fulfilled.ObjectivesTo investigate how health and social care providers and their institutions reacted to and dealt with requests of assisted suicide.MethodAn exploratory qualitative study was carried out in the States of Fribourg and Vaud among 40 professionals working in nursing homes, home care services or social welfare agencies.ResultsThe requests of assisted suicide questioned the professional mission, the quality of accompaniment provided to the older people and both professional and personal values. Health and social care providers were required to ponder over ethical dilemmas or decisions. Several challenges were reported, such as: taking into account and articulating personal freedom or needs with collective functioning or organizational constraints before, during and after the assisted suicide; reconciliating self-determination with protection towards vulnerable people (beneficere, non maleficere).ConclusionsAssisted suicide challenges and changes professional end-of-life practices. Education and support should be provided to health and social care providers faced with it.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Work satisfaction, stress, quality of care and morale of older people in a nursing home

2002 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 512-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Redfern ◽  
Shirina Hannan ◽  
Ian Norman ◽  
Finbarr Martin
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Home ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Work Satisfaction

“Sliding Doors”: innovative approaches to supporting culture change

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 154-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gill Walker ◽  
Laura Gillies
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Educational Drama ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The People ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Policy Direction

Purpose – Reshaping Care for Older People (RCOP) and Integration of Health and Social Care are central to providing a care system in Scotland that meets older people's current and future needs. Their implementation requires a workforce with the appropriate knowledge, skills and values to engage with older people across health and social care sectors, which requires a change in professionals’ thinking about services. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – NHS Education for Scotland, the Scottish Social Services Council and a learning and development consultancy designed and delivered innovative education resources to support health and social care staff across Scotland to understand the new agenda and recognise its meaning for practice. Findings – Two related resources were developed: workshop using actors to depict scenarios from older people's lives to support participants to reflect on the new policy direction and outcomes-focused approaches; and an online resource using the same characters that can be delivered locally for groups and individuals. Participants were enabled to identify what they need to do differently and how they can support one another to make necessary changes. A formal evaluation has been commissioned. Originality/value – The resource characters represent the people the new policy is designed to affect. By following their lives through an educational drama approach, health and social care staff can understand the difference RCOP and the integration agenda can make and recognise their part in effecting change.

Progress Towards Partnership? The Development of Relations between Primary Care Organisations and Social Services Concerning Older People's Services in the UK

2004 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirstein Rummery
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Theoretical Work ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Care Groups ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Uk

This paper will present evidence from the interim results of a large scale longitudinal project designed to track the development of partnership working between the new primary care organisations (Primary Care Groups and Trusts) entrusted with the commissioning and in some cases provision of health care, and local authority social services departments, regarding health and social care services for older people in the UK. Drawing on theoretical work concerning the role of partnership working in the governance of welfare, the author uses a framework originally devised by the Nuffield Centre for Health at the University of Leeds to analyse the interim data, and to draw conclusions about the feasibility of current policy pushes towards partnership working and service integration around health and social care for older people.

Volunteers in a hospital – opportunity or threat? Exploratory study from Finland

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 674-695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulla-Maija Koivula ◽  
Sirkka-Liisa Karttunen
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Volunteer Management ◽  
Voluntary Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health And Social Care

Purpose – Finland represents one of the Nordic welfare states where the role of the public sector as the organiser and provider of health and social care is strong. However, the amount of voluntary work in social and health care services is surprisingly big. The strongest advocates for keeping the volunteers outside are hospitals and health centres while at the same time they are suffering from shortages of staff and staff is reporting lack of time to provide needed care for their patients. The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a study of the attitudes of professionals towards voluntary work in hospitals. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on an exploratory study done in three hospitals, two from an urban area and one in a rural area. The interviewees represent nursing and care staff (n=21). The main questions were how staff members see options, constraints and drawbacks of volunteering regarding professional roles, work division, coordination and management. Findings – Attitudes of staff varied from positive to conditional. The approaches towards voluntary work varied from holistic to task-centred or patient-centred and were linked with organisational approach, professional approach or considerations of patients’ well-being. Critical views were expressed related to managerial issues, patients’ safety and quality of care. Increasing the amount of voluntary work done in hospitals would require a considered strategy and a specifically designed process for coordination, management and rules on the division of labour. Research limitations/implications – The research raised themes for further quantitative studies to elaborate the findings on the similarities and differences of the opinions of different staff categories and to be able to develop further the heuristic model of volunteer management triangle suggested in the paper. Social implications – The study raises questions of the need and promotion of volunteers in general and especially in health care services. It also raises critical views related to voluntary work in hospitals. Originality/value – The study is a new initiative to discuss voluntary work and how to manage volunteers in hospitals. It provides valuable knowledge for practitioners in health care involved in volunteer management and coordination.

scholarly journals Developing dimensions for a new preference-based quality of life instrument for older people receiving aged care services in the community

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Cleland ◽  
Claire Hutchinson ◽  
Candice McBain ◽  
Ruth Walker ◽  
Rachel Milte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older People ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Face Validity ◽  
Framework Analysis ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Life Instrument ◽  
Community Aged Care

Abstract Purpose To identify the salient quality of life characteristics relevant to older people in receipt of community aged care services in order to develop dimensions for a draft descriptive system for a new preference-based quality of life instrument. Methods Forty-one in-depth semi-structured interviews were undertaken with older people (65 years and over) receiving community aged care services across three Australian states to explore quality of life characteristics of importance to them. The data were analysed using framework analysis to extract broader themes which were organised into a conceptual framework. The data were then summarised into a thematic chart to develop a framework matrix which was used to interpret and synthesise the data. Care was taken throughout to retain the language that older people had adopted during the interviews to ensure that appropriate language was used when identifying and developing the quality of life dimensions. Results The analysis resulted in the identification of five salient quality of life dimensions: independence, social connections, emotional well-being, mobility, and activities. Conclusion This research finds that quality of life for older people accessing aged care services goes beyond health-related quality of life and incorporates broader aspects that transcend health. The findings represent the first stage in a multiphase project working in partnership with older people to develop a new preference-based instrument of quality of life for informing quality assessment and economic evaluation in community aged care. In future work, draft items will be developed from these dimensions and tested in face validity interviews before progressing to further psychometric testing.

scholarly journals USUARIOS DE SERVICIOS SOCIALES COMUNITARIOS (SAD Y CENTROS DE DÍA) PARA PERSONAS MAYORES

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 299
Author(s):  
Agustín Dosil Maceiras ◽  
Patricia Mª Iglesias Souto ◽  
Eva Mª Taboada Ares ◽  
Carlos Dosil Díaz ◽  
José Eulogio Real Deus
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Good Condition ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Day Care Centers ◽  
Home Help ◽  
Adequate Quality ◽  
Community Based Services

Abstract.USERS OF COMMUNITY SOCIAL SERVICES FOR OLDER PEOPLEThe majority of older people show a clear preference for aging and staying at home for as long as possible, whilst getting the attention that they need without being admitted into a nursing home. Precisely, avoiding or delaying institutionalization of the older people is one of the main objectives of the home help service and day centers. Ensuring an adequate quality of care through programs and community-based services involves, firstly, the convergence of the formal and informal systems of support, and secondly, with regard to the latter, the optimal match between the services provided and the needs of the users. The present study analyzes the health status at functional, cognitive and social levels of the older people that use the service of home help and day care centers. It also explores the extent to which the current user’s profile matches the objectives and their needs are met by the assistance provided by the above services, in such a way that the quality of care is ensured. The results indicate that a significant percentage of users of home help were people without significant dependence problems, which were in good condition both physically and cognitive and enjoyed a broad and committed informal social network. On the other hand, those who attended day centers had higher levels of dependency, especially at instrumental level, while the ability to perform basic activities was preserved in more than half of the cases. Thus, we found a mismatch between the needs of a significant number of users of these services and the response that is offered within them.Key words: Older people, Social services, Home Help Service, Day Centre.Resumen.La mayoría de las personas de edad muestra una preferencia clara por envejecer en casa y permanecer en su domicilio durante el mayor tiempo posible, recibiendo en él las atenciones que necesite y prescindiendo del ingreso en un centro residencial. Precisamente, evitar o retrasar la institucionalización de los mayores es uno de los principales objetivos del servicio de ayuda a domicilio y de los centros de día. Garantizar una adecuada calidad atencional a través de programas y servicios de tipo comunitario implica, en primer lugar, la convergencia de los sistemas de ayuda informal y formal, y en segundo lugar, respecto a estos últimos, una óptima adecuación de los servicios prestados a las necesidades de los usuarios de los mismos. El presente trabajo analiza la situación de salud, funcional, cognitiva y social de los mayores que utilizan el servicio de ayuda a domicilio y los centros de día, así como la medida en que el perfil del usuario actual se adecua a los objetivos y prestaciones contempladas en los mismos, de modo que se garantice la calidad en la atención. Los resultados obtenidos indican que un porcentaje considerable de usuarios del servicio de ayuda a domicilio eran personas sin problemas importantes de dependencia, que estaban en buenas condiciones tanto a nivel físico como cognitivo y disponían de una red social informal amplia y comprometida. Por su parte, los que acudían a centros de día presentaban mayores niveles de dependencia, sobre todo a nivel instrumental, mientras que la capacidad para llevar a cabo las actividades básicas estaba preservada en más de la mitad de los casos. Por lo tanto, se ha encontrado un desajuste entre las necesidades de un número importante de usuarios de estos servicios y la respuesta que se les ofrece desde los mismos.Palabras clave: Personas mayores, Servicios Sociales, Viviendas comunitarias, Apartamentos tutelados.

scholarly journals Quality of care for frail older adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (9) ◽  
pp. 1255-1257
Author(s):  
Kirsten Moore
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Home Care Services ◽  
Nursing Home Care ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Frail Older People ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Societal Changes

Our successes in improving life expectancy has led to increased years of life lived with multimorbidity and dementia with increased support needs. Much of the support given to frail older people is provided by family and informal support networks with significant impact on their physical, psychological, and financial well-being. Demographic and societal changes are reducing the capacity of family to offer this care. Formal home-based, center-based, and long-term/residential/nursing home care services are predominately provided by untrained care staff working under supervision from nursing staff. Difficulties recruiting and retaining these staff is leading to major challenges to meeting the needs of older people (Chenoweth et al., 2010). This volume contains a number of studies focusing on ways to improve care provided by these services for frail older people. The approach underpinning these papers and many perspectives of good quality care for older people is the need to be person-centered where the older person identifies their own goals for care and assessment of need, employing a holistic and strength-based approach incorporating their interests, values, and capacities (Vernooij-Dassen and Moniz-Cook, 2016).

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