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Improving Quality of Life for Older People in Long-Stay Care ...

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Figure 6.7: <strong>Long</strong>-stay residents’ level <strong>of</strong> mobility by facility typeWelfare homes(n = 14)District/Community hospitals(n = 27)Voluntary homes/hospitals(n = 32)Public homes/hospitals(n = 37)Private nurs<strong>in</strong>g homes(n = 199)All facilities(n = 309)0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%Fully mobileMobile with the use<strong>of</strong> a walk<strong>in</strong>g aidMobile with the help<strong>of</strong> another personImmobile6.4 Staff<strong>in</strong>gThe majority <strong>of</strong> long-stay units (93 per cent) provide access to local GPs <strong>for</strong>residents, rang<strong>in</strong>g from 76 per cent <strong>of</strong> district/community hospitals to 97 per cent<strong>of</strong> private nurs<strong>in</strong>g homes. Access to consultant geriatrician services is available<strong>in</strong> 22 per cent <strong>of</strong> units respond<strong>in</strong>g to the survey, with access more likely <strong>in</strong> publicgeriatric homes/hospitals than <strong>in</strong> private nurs<strong>in</strong>g homes. The vast majority <strong>of</strong> care<strong>for</strong> older people <strong>in</strong> long-stay units is, however, provided by nurses and other carestaff. Nurse staff<strong>in</strong>g levels are <strong>in</strong>fluenced by numbers <strong>of</strong> residents and by dependency.Consequently, data relat<strong>in</strong>g to the mix and level <strong>of</strong> staff is presented by size <strong>of</strong>facility, specifically <strong>for</strong> facilities with <strong>for</strong>ty residents or less, and <strong>for</strong> facilities withmore than <strong>for</strong>ty residents. Staff<strong>in</strong>g ratios are also correlated with dependencylevels. <strong>Care</strong> staff are characterised <strong>in</strong> terms <strong>of</strong> whole time equivalents (WTE) 11employed by the different facilities.119Differences <strong>in</strong> staff<strong>in</strong>g with regard to ratios <strong>of</strong> qualified staff (i.e. registered nurs<strong>in</strong>gstaff) to non-nurs<strong>in</strong>g care staff (i.e. health care assistants or care attendants) betweenfacilities <strong>of</strong> different sizes are evident across facilities (Table 6.3). The average ratio<strong>of</strong> registered nurs<strong>in</strong>g staff to non-nurs<strong>in</strong>g staff across all facilities with fewer thanor equal to <strong>for</strong>ty beds is 1:1.6, rang<strong>in</strong>g from 1:0.7 <strong>in</strong> district/community hospitalsto 1:2.0 <strong>in</strong> private nurs<strong>in</strong>g homes. The average ratio <strong>of</strong> registered nurs<strong>in</strong>g staff tonon-nurs<strong>in</strong>g staff across all facilities with more than <strong>for</strong>ty beds is 1:1.2, rang<strong>in</strong>gfrom 1:0.7 <strong>in</strong> district/community hospitals to 1:2.7 <strong>in</strong> private nurs<strong>in</strong>g homes.11 Each whole time equivalent (WTE) equals one full-time staff member.

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