scholarly journals Allied Health Student Clinical Placements in Residential Aged Care Facilities: Staff Opinions, Attitudes, and Support Needs

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Johnston ◽  
Clint Newstead ◽  
Sarah Walmsley ◽  
Lesley MacDonald
Keyword(s):  
Health Professional ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
Clinical Placements ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Aged Care Facilities ◽  
Allied Health Professional

Purpose: As the population ages, the incidence and prevalence of chronic health issues requiring allied health management is increasing. Currently, there is an undersupply of appropriately skilled allied health professionals working in aged care. This has also been identified as a setting in which many beginning health practitioners are reluctant to seek employment. In order to address this workforce shortage, it is imperative that students are prepared for a possible future career within aged care facilities. Early clinical experience within this setting may increase student confidence, raise awareness of the need for services, and encourage students to consider working in aged care. At present, student clinical placements within aged care facilities are limited, potentially contributing to difficulties addressing workforce needs. The reasons for the lack of clinical placements and the relative contribution of the opinions, attitudes, training, and support needs of staff are unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the opinions, attitudes, support, and training needs of physiotherapists, dieticians, and managers working in residential aged care regarding allied health professional student clinical placements. Method: A written survey of allied health professionals (dieticians and physiotherapists, n=26) and managers (n=40) working in residential aged care was conducted. Responses were analysed using qualitative and quantitative methods. Results: Participants had generally positive attitudes towards student placements in residential aged care. Managers were significantly more positive regarding the scope for student clinical placements within their facilities than allied health professionals (p<0.05). The biggest barrier to student placements identified by both managers and allied health professionals was the nature of employment of allied health professionals in the sector. Participating allied health professionals also indicated that they required specific training in student supervision and the provision of clinical education. Conclusion: The attitudes and opinions of allied health professionals and managers did not appear to contribute to a lack of allied health professional student placements in aged care facilities. The main barriers to placement were the nature of allied health professional employment and a lack of staff experience in supervising students on clinical placement. Specific training and mentoring of allied health professionals may facilitate increased student placement capacity in the aged care setting.

Wicking teaching aged care facilities program: Innovative Practice

Dementia ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 673-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Robinson ◽  
Catherine See ◽  
Emma Lea ◽  
Marguerite Bramble ◽  
Sharon Andrews ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Action Learning ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Care Practice ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Clinical Placements ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Aged Care Facilities

This paper reports on the design of a program that aims to prototype teaching aged care facilities in Australia. Beginning in two Tasmanian residential aged care facilities, the intent of the program is to support large-scale inter-professional student clinical placements, positively influence students’ attitudes toward working in aged care and drive development of a high-performance culture capable of supporting evidence-based aged care practice. This is important in the context of aged care being perceived as an unattractive career choice for health professionals, reinforced by negative clinical placement experiences. The Teaching Aged Care Facilities Program features six stages configured around an action research/action learning method, with dementia being a key clinical focus.

scholarly journals Residential aged care facility clinical placements for undergraduate paramedic students: An evaluation of the Australian experience

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigit Stratton ◽  
Emma Lea ◽  
Marguerite Bramble ◽  
Claire Eccleston ◽  
Mike McCall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Care Facility ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Clinical Placement ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Clinical Placements ◽  
Palliative Approach ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Aged Care Facilities ◽  
Residential Aged Care Facilities

IntroductionThis paper presents an evaluation of the pilot aged care clinical placement undertaken by undergraduate paramedic students in the university-based Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre’s Teaching Aged Care Facilities Program. The objective is to examine the learning experiences of students taking part in the first paramedic student clinical placement in Tasmania to be situated in the residential aged care environment. The students’ interactions with residents with dementia and with older people requiring a palliative approach to care are discussed, as key strategies to enhance paramedic student learning.MethodTwenty-one final year undergraduate paramedic students completed a 5-day (40 hour) clinical placement in September/October 2011, in two participating residential aged care facilities in Tasmania, Australia. Qualitative data were obtained from weekly feedback meetings with students, which were audio-recorded, transcribed, and subjected to content analysis. Quantitative data from pre and post-placement questionnaires were collected and descriptive analyses performed.ResultsThe data showed that students enjoyed interaction with residents and that this built their communication skills, particularly with residents with dementia. Students also learnt about the importance of a palliative approach to care and improved their knowledge of dementia.ConclusionA supported placement program for paramedic students in residential aged care facilitates student learning in a number of areas, particularly around working with people with dementia, which is likely to enhance student readiness for the graduate paramedic role. 

scholarly journals Inadequate completion of advance care directives by individuals with dementia: national audit of health and aged care facilities

2021 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2020-002767
Author(s):  
Jamie Bryant ◽  
Marcus Sellars ◽  
Craig Sinclair ◽  
Karen Detering ◽  
Kimberly Buck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Care Plan ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Multinomial Regression ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Aged Care Facilities ◽  
Advance Care Directives ◽  
Advance Care

Objectives(i) Describe the prevalence and type of advance care directives (ACDs) and other advance care planning (ACP) documentation completed by persons with dementia, healthcare providers and others on behalf of a person with dementia; (ii) identify the personal and ACP programme characteristics associated with having ACP documentation in the health record; (iii) identify the personal and ACP programme characteristics associated with having a self-completed ACD.MethodsA multicentre audit was undertaken in Australian hospitals, general practices and residential aged care facilities. Auditors extracted demographic and ACP data from the records of eligible patients. ACP programme characteristics were provided by a site representative. Logistic and multinomial regression were used respectively to examine the factors associated with completion of any ACP documentation, and self-completion of an ACD by persons with dementia.ResultsA total of 1388 people with dementia (33.2%) from 96 sites were included. Overall, 60.8% (n=844) had ACP documentation; 31.6% (n=438) had a self-completed ACD and 29.3% (n=406) had an ACP document completed by a health professional or someone else on their behalf. Older participants were more likely to have ACP documented. Multivariate analyses indicated the odds of having self-completed ACP documents, compared with no advance care plan or ACP completed by someone else, were significantly influenced by age, country of birth, setting and whether the site had ACP training, policies or guidelines.DiscussionWhile 60% of people with dementia had some form of ACP documentation, only half of the cases in which ACP was documented included an ACD completed by the person themselves.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document