Residential aged care staff awareness of and engagement with dementia-specific support services and education

Abstract

Objective: To examine residential aged care (RAC) staff awareness of and engagement with dementia-specific support services and education.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of staff (n = 179) from 36 Victorian RAC facilities.

Results: 60% (n = 107) of respondents were aware of dementia-specific support services, but only 27% (n = 48) accessed services in the previous 2 years. Approximately 77% (n = 137) were aware of dementia-specific education, with 66% (n = 115) completing education in the previous 2 years. A significantly higher proportion of registered nurses had accessed dementia-specific support services in the past 2 years compared with enrolled nurses and personal care assistants (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: A relatively large proportion of RAC staff were unaware of available dementia-specific support services and education. While approximately two thirds accessed such education, only one in four accessed dementia-specific support services. To optimise the quality of care for people with dementia, strategies to increase awareness of and access to these resources are warranted.

Keywords: dementia; education; health services for the aged; homes for the aged; long-term care.