Investigating the Impacts of Acculturation Stress on Migrant Care Workers in Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities

2020 ◽  
pp. 104365962094781
Author(s):  
Bola Adebayo ◽  
Pam Nichols ◽  
Matthew A. Albrecht ◽  
Bianca Brijnath ◽  
Karen Heslop
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Acculturation Stress ◽  
Depression Anxiety Stress Scale ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Occupational Roles ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Aged Care Facilities ◽  
Residential Aged Care Facilities

Introduction: Migrant care workers are a growing portion of the aged care workforce in high-income countries. This study investigated the impacts of acculturation stress on the well-being of migrant care workers. Method: A cross-sectional national survey was conducted among migrant care workers ( n = 272) across five Australian states and one territory using the Riverside Acculturation Stress Inventory (RASI) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS 21). Results: Acculturation stress was high ( M = 38.4; SD = 14.1; 38.9% scored ≥40 out of 75), but respondents scored in the normal to mild ranges (85% to 93%) on the DASS 21 scale. Enrolled and registered nurses had the highest acculturation stress levels when compared with other occupational roles. Ethnicity, F(4, 254) = 11.0, p < .001; occupational roles, F(3, 254) = 3.0, p = .03; and self-reported English proficiency, F(1, 254) = 4.17, p = .04, were statistically significant. Conclusions: Addressing acculturation stress may improve job satisfaction and retention among migrant care workers.

Unfinished Care in Residential Aged Care Facilities: An Integrative Review

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristiana Ludlow ◽  
Kate Churruca ◽  
Virginia Mumford ◽  
Louise A Ellis ◽  
Luke Testa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staff Member ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Integrative Review ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Knowledge Gaps ◽  
Modifiable Factors ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Aged Care Facilities ◽  
Residential Aged Care Facilities

Abstract Background and Objectives When workload demands are greater than available time and resources, staff members must prioritize care by degree of importance and urgency. Care tasks assigned a lower priority may be missed, rationed, or delayed; collectively referred to as “unfinished care.” Residential aged care facilities (RACFs) are susceptible to unfinished care due to consumers’ complex needs, workforce composition, and constraints placed on resource availability. The objectives of this integrative review were to investigate the current state of knowledge of unfinished care in RACFs and to identify knowledge gaps. Research Design and Methods We conducted a search of academic databases and included English-language, peer-reviewed, empirical journal articles that discussed unfinished care in RACFs. Data were synthesized using mind mapping techniques and frequency counts, resulting in two categorization frameworks. Results We identified 17 core studies and 27 informing studies (n = 44). Across core studies, 32 types of unfinished care were organized under five categories: personal care, mobility, person-centeredness, medical and health care, and general care processes. We classified 50 factors associated with unfinished care under seven categories: staff member characteristics, staff member well-being, resident characteristics, interactions, resources, the work environment, and delivery of care activities. Discussion and Implications This review signifies that unfinished care in RACFs is a diverse concept in terms of types of unfinished care, associated factors, and terminology. Our findings suggest that policymakers and providers could reduce unfinished care by focusing on modifiable factors such as staffing levels. Four key knowledge gaps were identified to direct future research.

scholarly journals CareTrack Aged: the appropriateness of care delivered to Australians living in residential aged care facilities: a study protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. e030988
Author(s):  
Peter D Hibbert ◽  
Louise K Wiles ◽  
Ian D Cameron ◽  
Alison Kitson ◽  
Richard L Reed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Aged Population ◽  
Processes Of Care ◽  
Appropriate Care ◽  
Appropriateness Of Care ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Aged Care Facilities ◽  
Residential Aged Care Facilities

IntroductionThe aged population is increasing rapidly across the world and this is expected to continue. People living in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) represent amongst the sickest and frailest cohort of the aged population, with a high prevalence of chronic conditions and complex comorbidities. Given the vulnerability of RACF residents and the demands on the system, there is a need to determine the extent that care is delivered in line with best practice (‘appropriate care’) in RACFs. There is also a recognition that systems should provide care that optimises quality of life (QoL), which includes support for physical and psychological well-being, independence, social relationships, personal beliefs and a caring external environment. The aims ofCareTrack Agedare to develop sets of indicators for appropriate care and processes of care for commonly managed conditions, and then assess the appropriateness of care delivered and QoL of residents in RACFs in Australia.Methods and analysisWe will extract recommendations from clinical practice guidelines and, using expert review, convert these into sets of indicators for 15 common conditions and processes of care for people living in RACFs. We will recruit RACFs in three Australian states, and residents within these RACFs, using a stratified multistage sampling method. Experienced nurses, trained in theCareTrack Agedmethods (‘surveyors’), will review care records of recruited residents within a 1-month period in 2019 and 2020, and assess the care documented against the indicators of appropriate care. Surveyors will concurrently assess residents’ QoL using validated questionnaires.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been reviewed and approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of Macquarie University (5201800386). The research findings will be published in international and national journals and disseminated through conferences and presentations to interested stakeholder groups, including consumers, national agencies, healthcare professionals, policymakers and researchers.

Views of Greenery and Psychological Well-Being in Residential Aged Care Facilities: Longitudinal Associations

2021 ◽  
pp. 193758672110597
Author(s):  
Takemi Sugiyama ◽  
Alison Carver ◽  
Masaaki Sugiyama ◽  
Alanna Lorenzon ◽  
Tanya E. Davison
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Aged Care Facilities ◽  
Residential Aged Care Facilities ◽  
Objectively Measured

Objectives: This study examined associations of objectively measured views of greenery in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) with changes in multiple psychological well-being measures among residents who were newly admitted to RACFs. Methods: Data were collected from 52 residents (mean age: 84, 73% women) of 13 RACFs, located in Melbourne, Australia. The outcomes were changes in depression, stress, anxiety, and quality of life (QoL) between baseline and 8-week follow-up. The exposure measures were the amount and presence of greenery visible from participant’s bedroom and common areas (lounge, dining). Greenery was categorized as being either within or beyond the RACF perimeter. Results: Regression analyses found that greenery visible from participant’s bedroom was not associated with any outcomes. The amount of greenery visible from common areas within the RACF perimeter was adversely related to stress, unexpectedly: Each additional 1 m2 of greenery was associated with a greater increase in stress ( b = 0.05; 95% CI [0.07, 0.94]). However, greenery visible from common areas beyond the perimeter contributed favorably to stress and QoL. The presence of such greenery was associated with a lower increase in stress ( b = −3.99; 95% CI [−7.75, −0.23]; reference: no greenery), and a 1 m2 increment was associated with a greater increase in QoL ( b = 0.07; 95% CI [0.02, 0.11]). Conclusion: Views of greenery outside of the RACF from lounge and dining areas may be protective against residents’ stress increase and improve their QoL. Locating residents in areas with such outdoor views may prevent their psychological condition from worsening.

The state of physical environments in Australian residential aged care facilities

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten J. Moore ◽  
Keith D. Hill ◽  
Andrew L. Robinson ◽  
Terry P. Haines ◽  
Betty Haralambous ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Environment ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Falls Prevention ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Audit Process ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Physical Environments ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Aged Care Facilities ◽  
Residential Aged Care Facilities

Objective. This paper examines the quality and safety of the physical environment in Australian residential aged care facilities (RACFs). Design. Cross-sectional study. One assessor completed environmental audits to identify areas of the physical environment that needed to be addressed to improve the wellbeing and safety of residents. Setting. Nine RACFs participating in a broader falls prevention project were audited. RACFs were located in Queensland, Tasmania or Victoria and were chosen by convenience to represent high level, low level, dementia and psychogeriatric care, regional and metropolitan facilities, small and large facilities and a culturally specific facility. Main outcome measure. An environmental audit tool was adapted from a tool designed to foster older person friendly hospital environments. The tool consisted of 147 items. Results. Across all sites 450 items (34%) required action. This ranged from 21 to 44% across sites. The audit domains most commonly requiring action included signage, visual perception and lighting, and outdoor areas. Conclusions. Although not representative of all residential facilities in Australia, this audit process has identified common environmental problems across a diverse mix of residential care facilities. Results highlight the need for further investigation into the quality of physical environments, and interventions to improve physical environments in Australian RACFs. What is known about the topic? Despite the importance of the physical environment on the health, wellbeing and safety of older people in residential aged care facilities, few studies have comprehensively evaluated the physical environment in facilities in Australia. What does this paper add? This paper provides findings from comprehensive audits of nine residential aged care facilities representing a broad range of facility settings in terms of location, level and type of care and target population. Findings indicate that each facility had at least 21% of items requiring action with an average of 34% of items requiring action across all facilities. What are the implications for practitioners? There is a need to undertake intermittent, thorough assessments of the physical environments in which residents live and, if applicable, implement strategies or modifications to improve the environment. Areas requiring particular consideration may be lighting, colour contrasts, signage and outdoor areas.

scholarly journals Identification of Medications that Increase Fall Risk among Residents in Residential Aged Care Facilities in Klang Valley, Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 1057-1063
Author(s):  
Arif Zikri Mazlan ◽  
Marhanis Omar ◽  
Adliah Mhd-Ali ◽  
Mohd Makmor-Bakry
Keyword(s):  
Fall Risk ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Aged Care Facilities ◽  
Residential Aged Care Facilities ◽  
Klang Valley

Frailty in the elderly is considered a contributor to falls and is increasingly recognized as a public health priority.Certain type of drugs is associated with the risk of falling.This study aimed to identify the use of drugs that may cause falls (FRIDs) among frail elderly residents in residential aged care facilities (RACF).A cross-sectional study was conducted among RACF residents in Klang Valley, Malaysia, who are 65 years old and above from December 2019 to March 2020 using a set of researcher-assisted and validated questionnaires upon their consent. A total of 72 elderly residents were included in this study. More than 90% of the residents were classified as the frail or pre-frail. The majority of them were taking fall-risk increasing drugs (n=53, 73.6%). The calcium channel blocker is the most common drug identified that may cause falls among the participants. No significant association was found between demographic data, frailty status, and fall risk with FRIDs usage in this study. The majority of the elderly residents were using drugs that may cause falls. Therefore, a periodical medication review is needed to prevent any potential harms towards the residents.

scholarly journals Career mentoring in aged care: Not all it seems

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-23
Author(s):  
Rosalie Coppin ◽  
Greg Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Personal Development ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Career Experience ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Aged Care Facilities ◽  
Residential Aged Care Facilities ◽  
Professional Registration

Understanding the nature of career mentoring is important for improving the career experience of aged care workers. This study explores the career mentoring behaviours of sponsorship, coaching, advocacy, challenging assignments, exposure and visibility in the residential aged care context. Interviews were conducted with 32 aged workers from several occupations within the care context. It was found that career mentoring in the aged care context was limited. The mentor behaviours of coaching, sponsorship and advocacy were limited and there was no opportunity in aged care to provide challenging assignments or promote exposure and visibility. Organisations and managers can facilitate learning and personal development by providing inclusive training for all workers regardless of the need to meet professional registration requirements. Learning needs to be continuous as careers and clinical techniques evolve. Extension of existing mentoring programmes to include all care workers would improve overall quality of care in residential aged care facilities.

scholarly journals Comparison of Two Surveys Using the Sexuality Assessment Tool (SexAT) in Flanders

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 174-174
Author(s):  
Els Messelis ◽  
Michael Bauer ◽  
Elisabeth Vander Stichele ◽  
Els Elaut
Keyword(s):  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Elderly Care ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Sexual Expression ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Aged Care Facilities ◽  
Residential Aged Care Facilities ◽  
Sexual Assessment

Abstract From 2015 it is mandatory in Flanders, Belgium, to develop a policy to deal with sexual abuse in elderly care. Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF'S) try to focus on this mandatory, but should also pay attention to implement an overall Sex and Intimacy Policy. This study contains a Comparison of two surveys (Messelis & Bauer, 2020 and Vander Stichele, e.a. 2020) in Flanders, Belgium, both using the Sexual Assessment Tool (SeAT, Messelis & Bauer, 2017). Both studies aimed to assess how supportive residential aged care facilities are of residents' sexual expression. In the survey of Messelis & Bauer 750 aged care facilities were contacted in 2017-2018 and 69 (9,2%) completed the SexAT survey after three reminders. Vander Stichele e.a. contacted 100 aged care facilities managers in 2019. Twenty of them (20% response rate) completed the SexAT after three reminders. Findings of the Messelis & Bauer survey indicate that 70% of the facilities rated 'very good' to 'good' (score between 21-59/69), while Vander Stichele e.a. found a prevalence of 76% of this score. Both found no facilities were rated 'excellent' (score greater than 60/69). In the category 'improvement needed' (score less than 20/69), percentages were 30% and 23%; a difference of 7% (CI95% of difference in percentage includes zero, not significant). There is room for improvement in residential aged care facilities for the support of sexual expression of residents. The more recent study confirms results of the previous one, and no significant evolution was observed in two consecutive cross-sectional surveys.

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