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Chapter 5 Findings
Sub-theme 1b: The Personality: “People who work here should want to
work here”
This sub-theme that emerged from the data revealed that there are personality
attributes which motivate one to work with older people. It was explained that
staff members’ personality and interest in the job can ultimately affect an older
person’s level of autonomy in residential care.
A primary motivation for working with older people in residential care was being
interested in older people. Nursing and healthcare staff participants spoke about
the need for staff working in residential care to have an interest in older people:
“I have a lot of interest in people. I’ve been here eight years and I
still have an interest in them, you know, like an interest to make
sure that they’re cared for.”
(H01)
“Yes, more nurses that would be interested in care of the
elderly...not necessarily more nurses that there would be...nurses
that would have an interest or respect for care of the elderly.”
(S03)
However, one staff participant was observed commenting that it was difficult for
staff to maintain their interest in the specialty:
“….talks about the morale of the staff and states that it is very low
at the moment and she doesn’t know why. Said staff seem
disinterested in reading anything or updating their awareness and
knowledge.”
(Obs – Day 1)
It was clear that the majority of staff believed that working with older
people in residential care should be a career choice made by the
professional:
“People who work here should want to work here……how it
operates depends on staff wanting to be here.”
(S01)
“I think if they have an interest. I think a lot of people come down
and they go ‘oh, this place’, because I did myself before I was down