Direct Care Staff Perspectives Related to Physical Activity in Mental Health Group Homes

2013 ◽  
Vol 51 (12) ◽  
pp. 38-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shari L. Harding
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Group Homes ◽  
Direct Care ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Direct Care Staff ◽  
Health Group

Commentary on “The effectiveness of psychodynamic interventions for people with learning disabilities: a systematic review”

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-28
Author(s):  
Hilary Brown
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Direct Care ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Direct Care Staff ◽  
Content Type ◽  
People With Intellectual Disabilities

Purpose – This paper is a commentary on “The effectiveness of psychodynamic interventions for people with learning disabilities: a systematic review” by Chris James and James Stacey. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the thesis that standardised ways of evaluating health care interventions may have the inadvertent effect of undermining the case that people with intellectual disabilities should be offered the same opportunities to address their emotional and mental health difficulties as other citizens. Design/methodology/approach – The commentary argues that while the evidence base focuses on the outcomes of orthodox one-to-one interventions, sometimes broader “contextual reformulation” and systemic interventions are called for. However, family- or service-based interventions tend not to feature in studies. Findings – The commentary illustrates these issues by discussing two case studies, which demonstrate how relational issues tend to be unhelpfully focused on the person with intellectual disabilities to the detriment of family members or direct care staff, who may be struggling to make sense of the person's behaviour or distress. Originality/value – The commentary supports the argument put forward in the longer paper and also argues for mental health services to be offered on a non-discriminatory basis to people with intellectual disabilities and to their family members. But it also suggests that one of the additional impacts of service level psychotherapeutic interventions is to re-establish respect for the work of direct care staff whose work is often presented as if it is little more than domestic drudgery when in fact it involves negotiating and responding to people and their issues with great sensitivity and balance.

Effectiveness of the New York State Office of Mental Health Core Curriculum: Direct care staff training.

2002 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 398-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce B. Way ◽  
Barbara Stone ◽  
Marian Schwager ◽  
Deborah Wagoner ◽  
Ronald Bassman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
New York ◽  
Staff Training ◽  
Core Curriculum ◽  
New York State ◽  
Direct Care ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Direct Care Staff ◽  
York State ◽  
State Office

scholarly journals Mealtime Care for People With Dementia: What Do Nursing Home Staff Think?

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 182-183
Author(s):  
James Faraday ◽  
Clare Abley ◽  
Catherine Exley ◽  
Joanne Patterson
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Direct Care ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Direct Care Staff ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Comparison Approach ◽  
The Right

Abstract More and more people with dementia are living in nursing homes (NH). Often, they depend on NH staff for help with eating and drinking. It is important that staff have the skills and support they need to provide good care at mealtimes. This qualitative study explores mealtime care for people with dementia, from the perspective of NH staff. Semi-structured interviews with NH staff (n=16) were carried out in two nursing homes. The homes were chosen to have diverse characteristics: one home had a large number of beds and was part of a small local organization; the other had a small number of beds and was part of a large national organization. Various staff members were interviewed, including direct care staff, senior carers, nurses, managers, and kitchen staff. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. A constant comparison approach was taken, so that data from early interviews were explored in more depth subsequently. From the analysis, five themes emerged as important in mealtime care for people with dementia living in nursing homes: Setting the right tone; Working well as a team; Knowing the residents; Promoting autonomy and independence; Gently persevering. This work forms part of a larger ethnographic study on the topic, which includes data from residents with dementia, and family carers. Results will inform the development of a staff training intervention to optimize mealtime care for this population.

Reflections on the Current Psychiatric Consultation and Referral Pattern and on the State of the Art, at Oxford Regional Centre, An Adult Mental Retardation Facility

1984 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 306-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Axel Russell
Keyword(s):  
Mental Retardation ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Direct Care ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Direct Care Staff ◽  
Psychiatric Consultation ◽  
Referral Service ◽  
Consultation And Referral ◽  
Adult Mental Retardation ◽  
Care Problems

This paper investigates the utilization pattern of the psychiatric consultation and referral service provided by the author in an Adult Mental Retardation Facility over a three-year period. The services, their history and locale are described against a background of changes in attitudes towards the problems of the retarded. Rising interest by psychiatrists in the field is placed in context. A spectrum of variables is used for a statistical analysis of factors (Chi2) influencing psychiatric referrals or non-referrals of all new admissions over the period indicated (N = 98). Against a background of increasing normalization and de-institutionalization, the character and composition of the shrinking institutional population has changed. Administration and direct-care staff are now confronted with management and care problems of lower functioning retardates, presenting difficult-to-manage behaviours and severe, often multiple, handicaps. Several factors with resource and care implications are considered, affecting institutionalized as well as community placed retardates, especially in hard economic times. Findings are discussed; recommendations are made concerning the application of scarce psychiatric resources to meet changing psychiatric needs of the population, maximize services and continue community directed normalization efforts. Some caveats are sounded and further research suggested.

scholarly journals The side effects of service changes: exploring the longitudinal impact of participation in a randomised controlled trial (DOORWAYS) on staff perceptions of barriers to change

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Laker ◽  
Matteo Cella ◽  
Felicity Callard ◽  
Til Wykes
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Occupational Status ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Direct Care ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Staff Perceptions ◽  
Barriers To Change ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Abstract Background Staff and service users have expressed concerns that service improvements in U.K. mental health wards have been slow or transient. It is possible that certain changes are positive for some (e.g. service users), but negative for others (e.g. staff), which may affect implementation success. In this study, we explore whether a programme of change to improve the therapeutic milieu on mental health wards influenced staff perceptions of barriers to change, 12 months after implementation. Method A cluster randomised controlled trial called DOORWAYS was conducted on eight inner-city U.K. acute mental health wards. Randomisation was achieved using a list randomly generated by a computer. A psychologist trained ward staff (mainly nurses) to deliver evidence-based groups and supported their initial implementation. The impact of these changes was measured over 12 months (when 4 wards were randomised), according to nurses’ perceptions of barriers to change (VOCALISE), using unstructured multivariate linear regression models. This innovative analysis method allows maximum use of data in randomised controlled trials with reduced sample sizes due to substantial drop out rates. The contextual influences of occupational status (staff) and of workplace setting (ward) were also considered. Results Staff who participated in the intervention had significantly worse perceptions of barriers to change at follow up. The perceptions of staff in the control group did not change over time. In both groups (N=120), direct care staff had more negative perceptions of barriers to change, and perceptions varied according to ward. Across time, direct care staff in the intervention group became more negative than those in the control group. Conclusion Participation in this program of change, worsened staff perceptions of barriers to change. In addition, occupational status (being from the direct care group) had a negative effect on perceptions of barriers to change, an effect that continued across time and was worse in the intervention group. Those providing direct care should be offered extra support when changes are introduced and through the implementation process. More effort should be placed around reducing the perceived burden of innovation for staff in mental health wards.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document