Residential Aged Care Workers In Rural Settings: A Study Of Their Roles And Training Needs

Abstract

The role of the rural care worker is being affected by a number of significant s o c d changes. This paper focuses on the competencies required by these workers and the most appropriute way of providing training in these changing times. A competency projik was developed and verijied with 80 ~r n l and 58 city care workers in South AusPaiia, and a training nee& analysis was completed with the rurd care workers. The results of this research indicate that a number of care workers do not have formal training in aged care. Further, while most workers have experienced dimulties in gaining access b training, t h e y m y believe that on-going development is important for them in their role as carers. The study also identifid a nwnber of areas when training was considered to be a priority and obtained opinions from c a n workers on the best ways to provide this trahing. A number of implicationsand ideas for further research are explored The authors have k e n active in teaching and research in adult education for a nvnbcr of years. Their present areas of research include competency fr-orkx. marriage education and aged care. Address correspondcKc to: Roger Harric. Associate Professor. Centre for Research in Education and Work University of SA. Holbroob R& Underdale. SA 5032. REFERENCES Abbey, I. (1987). Distance education: an option for gerontic nurses. The Australian J o d ofAdvanced Nuning. q3). 4 -11. Butler. J. (1990) The Idenrification and Assessment of Competencies: the Nursing Project and its Implicoriorrc. Can-Austnliian Govrmment Publishing Service. Cleary, R. (1991) The role of the tertiary institution in gerontological education. Australipn J o d on Ageing IO(2). 18-22. Guidelines. S s o n d edition. Canberm NTB Limited. Punon. A. (1985) Introducing new nomu in a nursing u n i~ and as analysis of change. Unpublished PhD thesis. Department of Social Science and Adminislruion. Universiry of London. Goldsmith College. P i m . B. (1991) Training and education in industry: the rule of government fmm an indusay perspective. Ausrralian l o u d on Agcmg. Iq2). 12-17. Polgar. S. & Paul. V.E. (1993) Identifiation of Training Needsfor Ovlcomc SIMd0rd.s: a Repon for rlu Natwnal Reference Group of rhr Nation01 Tmining Strategy for Aged Persons' Honels. Joindy undcnaken by rhc Training Resource Centre for Residential Aged Care. Qucurrland and the Outer Eartun

Can staff training reduce behavioural problems in residential care for the elderly mentally ill?

“…Campbell et al (1991) emphasize the role of sociocultural expectations as determinants of sta caregiving behaviour, noting that although sta improved their knowledge and attitudes following an incontinence training programme, their behaviour did not change. Head et al (1990) attributed the dierential eects of a reminiscence programme to the contextual setting, and Bird et al (1995) described how sta in one home refused to implement a behavioural programme despite its success in a home where the lady presenting with aggression had previously lived. These ®ndings have implications for our study as well as some of the highly resourced NVQ programmes, which also appear to encounter resistance' in nursing homes (Meston and King, 1996) and, as far as we know, have not been subjected to controlled investigation of their eects on resident care.…”

“…In Australia and America gerontological programmes targeting care sta have been developed (eg Feldt and Ryden, 1992;Harris et al, 1994;Filinson, 1994) with some in-service programmes speci®cally focusing on behavioural management (Chartock et al, 1988;Monahan, 1993;Cohn et al, 1990). However, only a few report controlled training interventions (Smyer et al, 1992;Rovner et al, 1996).…”