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It was observed that there was no formalised care planning process:
“No nurse has been observed writing care plans with residents or
writing care plans at residents’ bedsides.”
(Obs – reflection from both days)
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Chapter 5 Findings
Sometimes no further care planning for activities is done after admission:
“Well on admission they are asked what activities they like,
television or reading or what time they like to get up or what time
they like to go to bed.”
(S03)
This sub-theme revealed that personalising an older person’s care around their
hobbies and interests is something that staff recognise as important but find
difficult to implement. There was a sense of frustration from residents that they
were unable to do the things that mattered most to them – the little things.
Summary of Theme 2
Theme 2was labelled “Being Personal”. From the data it emerged that
personalised care involves negotiating daily care plans and providing meaningful
activity. It was suggested that autonomy is more likely to occur if impersonal
factors are made positive such as an approach to care that is not routinised, and
management structures that foster a flexible atmosphere, encourage openness and
develop work structures that recognise the physical impact of caring for ageing
older people.
The next section will describe the findings from the staff attitude survey.
5.13 Findings from the Staff Attitude Survey
A total of 22 surveys were returned yielding a response rate of 65%. The range of
scores for the KAOP is 34 to 204, with higher scores representing a more
positive attitude. The scores from the attitude survey distributed to the staff on
the research unit ranged from 95 to 164. The mean score for nurses was 137
(standard deviation (SD) 15.87) and the mean score for HCAs was 122 (SD
26.99). T-tests were performed to establish whether or not those with specific
education had more positive attitudes. There was no statistically significant