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The observations recorded staff assisting residents where necessary:
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Chapter 5 Findings
“It is breakfast time and the staff are assisting the residents and
asking them if they need sugar or milk, etc. They make sure their
trays are in front of them and sit them up in bed if required.”
(Obs – Day 2: 07.30-09.30hrs)
The observations also recorded staff chatting with residents in order to
elicit from them what they felt their abilities were:
“In this ward a nurse asks a resident ‘how are you getting on with the
walking?’ she replies ‘I’m slow with it’ and the nurse asks her ‘does
it hurt when you walk’ to which she replies ‘no’.”
(Obs – Day 2: 10.30-12.30hrs)
Staff participants in the interviews acknowledged that encouragement is
important if a person’s capacity is to be maintained:
“If someone can open their packet of sugar I will encourage them to
do it, I would or any other thing as well.”
(H03)
“Some of them don’t try hard I’d say. I’d say ‘come on, it will do
you good’.”
(H04)
“It might be simple things even get them to brush their own teeth
or, you know.”
(S07)
The observations did record staff encouraging residents to do personal care
things for themselves:
“The nurse is reassuring and asking the resident to help them put
his jumper on, ‘put your hands in there for us’.”
(Obs – Day 2: 07.30-09.30hrs)
Some nurse participants, while acknowledging that encouragement is important,
also believed that residents lacked confidence in their own abilities:
“There are so many of them that can’t really do much. For any of
them who can, I think there’s opportunity.”
(S08)