scholarly journals Consultative Design as an Approach Towards Socially Sustainable Residential Aged Care

10.29007/nhtr ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor Hilaire ◽  
Kim Maund ◽  
Brian Swanepoel ◽  
Julie Chapple
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Work Stress ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Design Approach ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Negative Results ◽  
Previous Design ◽  
The Individual

Currently residential aged care (RAC) provides a solution to address ageing populations in many developed countries. Demand for RAC is predicted to increase as populations continue to age with the recurrent costs posing an increasing burden on society. The contribution the built environment can play to mitigate this potential burden is becoming increasingly important in the design and construction of RAC facilities. The theories of environmental psychology rationalise the relationship between the physical environment and the individual and impacts work stress/satisfaction. Work stress/satisfaction in RAC facilities has a direct influence on quality of care and can directly affect the residents’ quality of life. This paper reports on a two stage study of design influences with the potential to impact upon the care team’s work stress/satisfaction in RAC where the benefits of consultative design are indentified. When compared to other facilities in the study the facility utilising a consultative design approach demonstrated more positive and less negative results for the design influences included. The consultative design approach reduced the potential for designers to copy and adapt a previous design, afforded universal ownership of the facility and optimised the building’s impact on work stress/satisfaction. The approach formed the basis of an overarching process to ensure the necessary elements of the design influences framework can be appropriately incorporated into the built environment.

scholarly journals The Link Between Building Maintenance, Work Stress/Satisfaction and Resident Quality of Life in Residential Aged Care

10.29007/brpj ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor Hilaire ◽  
Kim Maund
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Work Stress ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Care Team ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Building Maintenance

Currently in many developed countries populations are ageing due to a number and combination of circumstances. Residential aged care (RAC) provides a role in addressing the associated need to care for ageing people but the potential for increased demand means RAC providers must look to further efficiencies for sustainability. The care team provides hands on care in RAC and work stress/satisfaction within the care team can be affected the quality of care and directly impacts the resident’s quality of life. The work stress/satisfaction within the care team is can also be affected by the built environment. Appropriate design of the built environment can optimise work stress/satisfaction and this paper will propose that maintenance of that environment can also have an impact. This paper will report on a study comprising semi structured interviews with care team members and management representatives from three facilities. Content analysis was carried out on interview scripts. The study revealed building maintenance was not only important to preserve an asset and reduce hazards, it also revealed building maintenance to have a bearing on a number of factors which impacted the care team’s work stress/satisfaction. This paper will suggest that strategies to improve perceived control of building maintenance may increase a view of self-worth and go towards optimisation of work stress/satisfaction amongst the care team thus promoting a level of social sustainability.

scholarly journals The Challenge of Medication-Induced Dry Mouth in Residential Aged Care

Pharmacy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 162
Author(s):  
William Murray Thomson ◽  
Moira B. Smith ◽  
Catherine Anna Ferguson ◽  
Geraldine Moses
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Older People ◽  
Symptomatic Relief ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Dry Mouth ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Randomised Control Trials ◽  
The Individual

With a reported prevalence between 20% and 30%, dry mouth is more common among older people than any other age group. The major risk factor for dry mouth is polypharmacy. Older people take more medications than any other age group, not only for symptomatic relief of various age-associated chronic diseases, but also to reduce the likelihood of the complications that may arise from those conditions. Most aged care residents take even more medications than older people who are living in their own homes. The greater the number of medications taken, the greater the associated anticholinergic burden, and the more likely it is that the individual will suffer from dry mouth. The condition not only affects the dentition and ability to wear dentures, but also the sufferers’ quality of life. Treating dry mouth is a considerable challenge for clinicians. As medication use is by far the most important risk factor, there is a need for pharmacists, doctors and dentists to work together to prevent this from occurring. Medication review and deprescribing is a key strategy, but there have not yet been any randomised control trials of its efficacy in reducing the occurrence of dry mouth.

Enhancing palliative care in rural Australia: the residential aged care setting

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey Mitchell ◽  
Caroline Nicholson ◽  
Keith McDonald ◽  
Anne Bucetti
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
End Of Life Care ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Aged Care Facilities ◽  
Residential Aged Care Facilities ◽  
Advance Care

The delivery of palliative care in residential aged care communities is challenging, even more so in rural areas due to workforce ageing and shortages. The objectives of the present study were to: (i) assess the needs of, and quality of palliative care delivered to residents of 16 residential aged care facilities in rural southern Australia; and (ii) identify the needs of care staff to facilitate the delivery of quality palliative care. A cross-sectional survey of all residents, assessing the degree of functional limitation, stage of palliative care, and the presence of several quality indicators was conducted. Separate focus groups of care staff and relatives of residents sought information on the quality of care delivered, perceived strengths and weaknesses of the care delivered, and education and training needs. Quality palliative care in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) is hampered by workforce shortages, with low ratios of registered nurses, limited access to general practitioners after hours, and some communication difficulties. Some staff reported low confidence in technical and psychosocial aspects of care, especially for relatives. Relatives described mostly appropriate care, while acknowledging workload constraints. Most residents whose condition was unstable, deteriorating or terminal received advance care planning, though family expectations and unwillingness to discuss end-of-life care did tend to delay planning. Unstable residents with a reasonable prognosis were more likely to be transferred to hospital than terminally ill residents. Palliative care in participating RACFs appears to be adequate. Provision of targeted education for health care providers and implementation of protocols for advance care planning and end-of life care pathways will enhance this care.

scholarly journals Diagnosis of dementia in residential aged care settings in Australia: An opportunity for improvements in quality of care?

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. E155-E158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne M Dyer ◽  
Emmanuel S Gnanamanickam ◽  
Enwu Liu ◽  
Craig Whitehead ◽  
Maria Crotty
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Diagnosis Of Dementia

scholarly journals Clustered domestic residential aged care in Australia: fewer hospitalisations and better quality of life

2018 ◽  
Vol 208 (10) ◽  
pp. 433-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne M Dyer ◽  
Enwu Liu ◽  
Emmanuel S Gnanamanickam ◽  
Rachel Milte ◽  
Tiffany Easton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Residential Aged Care

Pervasive Networks and Ubiquitous Monitoring for Wellness Monitoring in Residential Aged Care

2010 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Leroy Lai Yu Chan ◽  
Branko George Celler ◽  
James Zhaonan Zhang ◽  
Nigel Hamilton Lovell
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Enabling Technologies ◽  
Aged Care Facilities ◽  
Residential Aged Care Facilities ◽  
Key Enabling Technologies

It is becoming more critical for developed countries to deliver long-term and financially sustainable healthcare services to an expanding ageing population, especially in the area of residential aged care. There is a general consensus that innovations in the area of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are key enabling technologies for reaching this goal. The major focus of this chapter is on WSN design considerations for ubiquitous wellness monitoring systems in residential aged care facilities. The major enabling technologies for building a pervasive WSN will be explored, including details on sensor design, wireless communication protocols and network topologies. Also examined are various data processing methods and knowledge management tools to support the collection of sensor data and their subsequent analysis for health assessment. Future systems that incorporate the two aspects of wellness monitoring, vital signs and activities of daily living (ADL) monitoring, will also be introduced.

“Time's Up”: The Experience of Entering Residential Aged Care for Young People with Acquired Neurological Disorders and Their Families

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Barry ◽  
Lucy Knox ◽  
Jacinta M. Douglas
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Healthcare Setting ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Key Events

Background and aims: Previous research has highlighted that living in residential aged care (RAC) is associated with a range of negative outcomes for adults with acquired neurological disorders. This study sought to understand the lived experience of entering RAC for young people and their family members and characterise their needs during this process.Method: Data included 64 written and verbal submissions to the 2015 Senate Inquiry into the Adequacy of existing residential care arrangements available for young people with severe physical, mental or intellectual disabilities in Australia. In line with hermeneutic tradition, text was analysed using thematic analysis.Results: Entry to RAC was experienced as a complex process that coalesced around three key events: an unexpected health crisis, a directive that time's up and the individual is required to leave the healthcare setting, with a subsequent decision to move into RAC. This decision was made in the absence of time, knowledge of options or adequate support.Conclusions: Findings suggest that there are both immediate practice changes and longer term policy responses that can support the health and disability systems to uphold the rights of people with acquired disability to choose where and how they will live their lives.

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