‘I know they are not trained in dementia’: Addressing the need for specialist dementia training for home care workers
Meg Polacsek BA, MHSc, PhD
National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Anita Goh BSc, DPsych
National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Vic., Australia
The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
NorthWestern Mental Health, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Correspondence
Anita Goh, National Ageing Research Institute, PO Box 2127 Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria 3050, Australia.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorSue Malta BA, PhD
The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorLuke Gahan BSoc Sci, BA (Hons), PhD
The Australian Red Cross Blood Service, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
La Trobe University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorClaudia Cooper BM, MRCPsych, MSc
Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
Search for more papers by this authorLee-Fay Low BSc Psych (Hons), PhD
Dementia Collaborative Research Centre, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorGill Livingston MBchB, MD, FRCPsych
Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
Search for more papers by this authorAnita Panayiotou BBNSci, PGDip Arts, DPsych
Safer Care Victoria, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorSamantha Loi MBBS, BMed Sc, MPsych, PhD
Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and NorthWestern Mental Health, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorMaho Omori BSoc Sci, BA (Hons), PhD
National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorSteven Savvas BMa & Comp Sci, BHlthSci (Hons), PhD
National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Royal Freemasons, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorFrances Batchelor BAppSc, GradDipEd, MHS, PhD
National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorDavid Ames MBBS, MD, FRCPsych, BA
National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Vic., Australia
The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorColleen Doyle BA (Hons), PhD
National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorSam Scherer MBBS (Hons), DipGerMed
Royal Freemasons, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorBriony Dow BSW, MA, PhD
National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Vic., Australia
The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorMeg Polacsek BA, MHSc, PhD
National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Anita Goh BSc, DPsych
National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Vic., Australia
The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
NorthWestern Mental Health, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Correspondence
Anita Goh, National Ageing Research Institute, PO Box 2127 Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria 3050, Australia.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorSue Malta BA, PhD
The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorLuke Gahan BSoc Sci, BA (Hons), PhD
The Australian Red Cross Blood Service, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
La Trobe University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorClaudia Cooper BM, MRCPsych, MSc
Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
Search for more papers by this authorLee-Fay Low BSc Psych (Hons), PhD
Dementia Collaborative Research Centre, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorGill Livingston MBchB, MD, FRCPsych
Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
Search for more papers by this authorAnita Panayiotou BBNSci, PGDip Arts, DPsych
Safer Care Victoria, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorSamantha Loi MBBS, BMed Sc, MPsych, PhD
Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and NorthWestern Mental Health, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorMaho Omori BSoc Sci, BA (Hons), PhD
National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorSteven Savvas BMa & Comp Sci, BHlthSci (Hons), PhD
National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Royal Freemasons, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorFrances Batchelor BAppSc, GradDipEd, MHS, PhD
National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorDavid Ames MBBS, MD, FRCPsych, BA
National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Vic., Australia
The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorColleen Doyle BA (Hons), PhD
National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorSam Scherer MBBS (Hons), DipGerMed
Royal Freemasons, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorBriony Dow BSW, MA, PhD
National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Vic., Australia
The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
Search for more papers by this authorFunding information
The authors are partially supported by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Boosting Dementia Project Grant.
Abstract
Global population ageing has meant a rapid increase in the numbers of older people with dementia, most of whom live in their own homes. Staying at home is an important determinant of health and well-being. As care needs increase, the quality of community support which older people receive directly influences their capacity to remain in their own homes. While many are supported informally by family carers, formal support provided by home care workers often enables them to remain at home for longer period. However, providing community-based care for people with dementia can be challenging. Workers often lack training in dementia-specific care for clients with increasingly complex needs, and typically work without direct supervision. As the demand for person-centred home care for people with dementia increases, specialist dementia training for home care workers is urgently needed. In this qualitative study, we used in-depth interviews of a purposive sample, comprising 15 family carers and four older people with dementia, to understand the experience of receiving community care. Data analysis was guided by Braun and Clarke's approach to thematic analysis and revealed the following five overlapping themes, relating to home care workers’ understanding of dementia, person-centred care, communication and rapport, mutual collaboration, and the influence of organisational constraints on continuity of care. Although participants acknowledged that service providers operated under challenging circumstances, they were frustrated with home care workers’ lack of dementia knowledge and inconsistent staff rostering. Conversely, an understanding of the lived experience of dementia, effective communication and rapport, and continuity of care contributed significantly to a positive experience of receiving care. The findings of this study will be used to inform the essential elements of a training program aimed at enabling and empowering a skilled, specialist home care workforce to support older people with dementia to live well at home for as long as possible.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
No conflict of interest has been declared by the authors.
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