Living with dementia: the felt worth of support workers

Abstract

Considering the important role that paid support workers play in care of older people with dementia, it is vital that researchers and relevant organisations understand the factors that lead to them feeling valued for the work that they do, and the consequences of such valuing (or lack thereof). The current study employed semi-structured interviews to understand the individual experiences of 15 support workers based both in residential care homes and private homes. The General Inductive Approach was used to analyse the interview transcriptions and to develop a conceptual model that describes the conditions that lead to support workers feeling valued for the work that they do. This model consists of organisational or individual strategies, the context in which support work takes place, and various interactions, actions and intervening conditions that facilitate or prevent support workers feeling valued. A significant finding in this research was the role of interpersonal relationships and interactions which underlie all other aspects of the conceptual model developed here. By understanding the importance of how employers, families of older adults with dementia and peers interact with support workers, we may promote not only the quality of work that support workers deliver, but also the wellbeing of the support workers themselves.

‘A lot of people think it’s just a Mickey Mouse role’: Role ambiguity among dementia support workers within secondary care and community hospital settings

“…Kahn et al (1964) noted that role ambiguity results in ‘tension, job dissatisfaction, a sense of futility, and lower self-confidence’. Indeed, attrition and staff turnover are high in the dementia care workforce with a lack of role recognition and feeling valued being indicated as contributory factors ( Hale et al, 2021 ). With a growth in people living with dementia, the recruitment and retention of Dementia Support Workers is crucial.…”