Angela Kydd

Attitudes towards caring for older people in Scotland, Sweden and the United States

AIM To explore the attitudes of nurses and nursing students in Scotland, Sweden and the US towards working with older people. METHOD This quantitative study used the 20-item Multifactorial Attitudes Questionnaire (MAQ) to elicit attitudes on ageism, resources, working environment, education and professional esteem. Researchers from each country distributed the questionnaires to nursing students and nurses, giving a convenience sample of 1,587 respondents. Data were entered on the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 18 and merged into one large dataset. RESULTS Scottish participants had the highest (positive) and Swedish participants the lowest mean MAQ score. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed significant differences in mean scores across the countries in 18 of the 20 statements, even when controlling for age and experience. Most participants gave positive responses, but agreed that negative attitudes towards working with older people pervade among peers due to working conditions, poor career prospects and a perceived lack of professional esteem. CONCLUSION Inspirational educators, excellent clinical placements and increasing the professional esteem of those working with older people are required to promote the specialty as an attractive career option.

Attitudes towards caring for older people: findings and recommendations for practice: In the second part of this article, Angela Kydd and colleagues compare data from two studies to gauge if there has been a change in opinion over a decade

AIM To investigate the attitudes of healthcare professionals towards working with older people, including their perception of how other professionals perceived their work in gerontology. METHOD Data were collected using a 20-item Multifactorial Attitudes Questionnaire (MAQ) in the West of Scotland with a five-point Likert scale for responses ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Questionnaires were distributed to hospitals and community settings by post and by hand in 1999 and 2009, and also by email in 2009. RESULTS In total, 376 healthcare staff working in primary and secondary services not exclusive to older people completed the MAQ in 1999, and 546 staff responded in 2009. The results showed that, although the respondents in 1999 and 2009 were enthusiastic and positive in their approach towards caring for older people, their work carried little professional kudos. Working conditions and the working environment were regarded as detrimental to recruitment of staff in gerontology, and respondents did not think that other health professionals valued their gerontological expertise. CONCLUSION The use of the MAQ in 1999 and 2009 enabled a comparative analysis of two studies completed a decade apart. Comparison of the MAQ results from 1999 and 2009 show that attitudes towards the care of older people as a recognised specialism have remained largely unchanged, despite a decade of major policy changes to include gerontology in pre- and post-registration nurse training. This finding does not bode well for attracting nurses into a career in gerontology. As a consequence, with increasing numbers of older people living in Scotland, and worldwide, the care and wellbeing of this group may be compromised at a time when it is most needed. The lead author (AK) has used the MAQ for an international study with colleagues from Germany, Sweden, Japan, Slovenia and the US, the results of which will be available shortly.

Attitudes of Nurses, and Student Nurses Towards Working with Older People and to Gerontological Nursing as a Career in Germany, Scotland, Slovenia, Sweden, Japan and the United States

Attitudes of Nurses, and student nurses towards working with older people and to gerontological nursing as a carrer in Germany, Scotland, Slovenia, Sweden, Japan and the United States

Implementing digital skills training in care homes: a literature review.

This article is the first of a two-part series that informs and describes digital skills training using a dedicated console computer provided for staff and residents in a care home setting. This was part of a programme of culture change in a large care home with nursing in Glasgow, Scotland. The literature review shows that over the past decade there has been a gradual increase in the use of digital technology by staff and older people in community settings including care homes. Policy from the European Commission presents a persuasive argument for the advancement of technology-enabled care to counter the future impact of an increased number of people of advanced age on finite health and social care resources. The psychosocial and environmental issues that inhibit or enhance the acquisition of digital skills in care homes are considered and include the identification of exemplar schemes and the support involved.

Digital skills training in care homes: achievement.

This article describes digital skills training (DST) for staff and later, residents, as part of a programme of culture change in a large care home with nursing in Glasgow. It presents the successes and challenges arising from DST from the perspectives of the two volunteer information technology (IT) champions (Thomas Sloan and John Thomson), who were also staff members. Using their written reports, questionnaires and subsequent conversations, the IT champions recall the challenges and gains for staff and residents as a result of their initial training. This is supplemented by a follow-up on IT activities in the 18 months after the introduction period.

Nutritional Issues for Older People and Older People with Dementia in Institutional Environments

The purposes of meals cover physiological needs and social interactions. Mealtimes can be a forum for communication within a family or social unit and food can be seen as a gift; a form of invitation to join in to share the prepared offerings of a host. The manner and way in which food is presented can enhance nutritional status, yet when food is used purely to meet physiological needs, the social meaning of meals become devalued and ultimately a less enjoyable experience. Once a ‘meal’ becomes a routine task and not sociable, the individual may lose their appetite for both the sense of occasion and for the food. Standards on good nutritional care cover the physical and psychosocial aspects of care. Recommendations come from international sources, European sources, British sources and from the four countries of the UK. Age Concern and Alzheimer Scotland have also addressed the issues. Yet the problem of malnutrition in institutional settings persists. Frail older people and older people with dementia are those most likely to be in institutions and those most likely to have a poor nutritional status. This chapter looks at the standards available and the issues involved. It goes on to highlight evidence that shows that those who are dealing directly with providing nutritional care are often care assistants who have little or no knowledge of evidence-based practice on maintaining and improving an individual’s nutritional status.

Book reviews and educational resources: The Art of Dementia Care, by Daniel Kuhn and Jane Verity. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning, 2008, pp. 123 (including a 10-page introduction). ISBN 10: 1—4018—9951-X; ISBN 13: 978—1-4018—9951—6

This beautifully presented book is an essential read for staff of all grades to read and enjoy. The authors, Kuhn and Verity, are from different disciplines, the former from social work and the latter occupational therapy. Both have vast experience in the field of dementia care. The introduction to the book describes professional and paid carers as artists. It explains to the reader that what is deemed to be a lowly job, working and caring for people with dementia, is an art. The members of staff, who meet and interact with people with dementia on a daily basis, have a special artistic skill, and if exercised, will serve to maximise the strengths and minimise the fears of the people in their care. Kuhn and Verity emphasise that the book serves to introduce each worker as an artist; someone with creativity, patience and the skill to achieve positive results. They add that just like artists, the worker requires education, training and experience to produce rewarding results. The book is easy to read. It is not cluttered with references, but provides a selection of references and resources at the back. The introduction serves to elevate the esteem of people who work in the field of dementia care. It underlines the uniqueness of the individual with dementia, and the importance each person makes to the everyday lives of those in their care. In six short chapters, the book illustrates in a simple yet powerful manner the need to focus on the existing strengths of people with dementia. Using reflective questions and case studies, the reader is guided through their attitudes, methods of communication and strategies to use when dealing with challenging behaviours. An appendix entitled ‘A View from the Field’ gives practical advice to individual carers and teams of staff, using actual experiences, encountered as difficult, by staff members. Each de men tia