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 language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | e223-e233 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Australasian Journal on Ageing |
Volume | 40 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Sept 2021 |
Keywords
- dementia
- education
- health services for the aged
- homes for the aged
- long-term care