Residential aged care staff awareness of and engagement with dementia-specific support services and education

Ruth Williams, Cherene Ockerby, Helen Rawson, Bernice Redley, Alison Hutchinson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective: To examine residential aged care (RAC) staff awareness of and engagement with dementia-specific support services and education. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of staff (n = 179) from 36 Victorian RAC facilities. Results: 60% (n = 107) of respondents were aware of dementia-specific support services, but only 27% (n = 48) accessed services in the previous 2 years. Approximately 77% (n = 137) were aware of dementia-specific education, with 66% (n = 115) completing education in the previous 2 years. A significantly higher proportion of registered nurses had accessed dementia-specific support services in the past 2 years compared with enrolled nurses and personal care assistants (P < 0.001). Conclusion: A relatively large proportion of RAC staff were unaware of available dementia-specific support services and education. While approximately two thirds accessed such education, only one in four accessed dementia-specific support services. To optimise the quality of care for people with dementia, strategies to increase awareness of and access to these resources are warranted.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)e223-e233
Number of pages11
JournalAustralasian Journal on Ageing
Volume40
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2021

Keywords

  • dementia
  • education
  • health services for the aged
  • homes for the aged
  • long-term care

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