Nursing home staff’s experiences with the daily nursing care activities for residents with dementia

Abstract

Background. There is an international shortage of nursing home staff members (NHSMs) in the daily nursing home caring for residents with dementia. Not many potential NHSMs and students choose for this type of care. One reason for this problem is a negative incorrect notion of the care of older adults and the stigma of dementia. Knowledge about the experienced reality can contribute to change this incorrect notion.

Research question. How do the nursing staff experience the daily nursing home care activities for residents with dementia?

Methods. The study design was generic qualitative approach with observations and interviews which provided data triangulation. Observations were done during daily care activities. Then, the observed NHSM have been interviewed based on the observations. Data analysis consisted of open coding and axial coding. After observation moments and interviews of 11 NHSMs, data saturation was reached. Peer-review and member checks were done for improving the methodological quality.

Results. Eight themes emerged from axial coding: residents’ behaviour, dealing with residents’ behaviour, care burden, satisfaction by being helpful for someone, value of little things, relation with the residents, collaboration with colleagues and ethical issues.

Conclusion & implications of key findings. Residents’ behaviour is the most important concept which defines the NHSMs’ experiences. Four of the eight themes are linked to this concept. Furthermore, this study describes a more realistic balance between negative and positive experiences compared with the incorrect notion and the current literature. In the future, the knowledge of this study will provide the reduction of the shortage of NHSMs in the care for residents with dementia, when it is used during recruitment and education. The future residents with dementia deserve a good last phase of their life with enough NHSMs, who care for them.