Equipping staff to support people with an intellectual disability and dementia in care home settings

Abstract

The knowledge, experiences and skills of direct care staff working in care home settings are essential in ensuring a good quality of life and care for a person with an intellectual disability (ID) who develops dementia. Drawing on the findings of a wider study, the issues of training, support and the wider needs of staff when trying to support a resident who develops dementia are explored, specifically as relating to the role played by staff and the need to determine their experiences and related training needs. Following an introduction to the policy and practice context for working with people with an ID and dementia, and a brief description of the research method, the authors discuss the attitudes and practices of staff; supportive changes at an organizational level; and the knowledge and training needs of staff and specific gaps in knowledge. The authors argue that, within the policy and practice context of aiming to support residents to 'age in place', support for staff is a crucial aspect of ensuring that such an approach is effective and provides a coordinated approach to planning, resourcing and support.

Support workers' knowledge about dementia: a vignette study

“…As found by Bates et al (2004) and Wilkinson and Kerr (2005), many support workers in this study received no specific mental health training and were uncertain how to apply their knowledge. Most made incorrect judgements about the meanings of some mental health symptoms, echoing Costello et al's (2007) findings.…”

Dementia care mapping to support staff in the care of people with intellectual disability and dementia: a feasibility study

“…The demand for a method to handle problems associated with the ageing of people with intellectual disability (as dementia) we found is widely reflected in studies of experiences of staff in working with adults and older people with intellectual disability (Cleary & Doodey, 2016;Furniss, Loverseed, Lippold, & Dodd, 2012;Iacono et al, 2014;McCarron, McCallion, Fahey-McCarthy, Connaire, & Dunn-Lane, 2010;Perera & Standen, 2014;Watchman, 2014;Wilkinson et al, 2005). Several studies of DCM in nursing home settings reported difficulties similar to ours in fulfilling the DCM-preconditions.…”

“…quality of care SCHAAP et Al. dementia (Cleary & Doodey, 2016;Duggan et al, 1996;Emerson, 2001;Iacono, Bigby, Carling-Jenkins, & Torr, 2014;Myrbakk & von Tetzchner, 2008); they tend to use an ad hoc approach (Iacono et al, 2014;Janicki, 2011;Janicki, McCallion, & Dalton, 2002;Watchman, 2008;Wilkinson, Kerr, & Cunningham, 2005). Therefore, an evidence-based method that provides insights, knowledge and skills for professionals in the care of older residents with intellectual disability and dementia is urgently needed, but not yet available.…”

Sharing Meals With Institutionalized People With Dementia: A Natural Experiment

“…Support for staff in dementia care is crucial to provide an effective approach to planning resourcing and support (Wilkinson, Kerr, & Cunningham, 2005). Moreover, Singh (2005) stressed that social and residential orientation of institutional settings should be characterized by shared control in management, and that care goes beyond the medical context.…”