Citation

Ostaszkiewicz J, O'Connell B, Dunning T. Australas. J. Ageing 2015; 35(2): 119-126.

Affiliation

Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Australian Council on the Ageing, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/ajag.12218

PMID

26365035

Abstract

AIM: Most residents in residential aged care facilities are incontinent. This study explored how continence care was provided in residential aged care facilities, and describes a subset of data about staffs' beliefs and experiences of the quality framework and the funding model on residents' continence care.

METHODS: Using grounded theory methodology, 18 residential aged care staff members were interviewed and 88 hours of field observations conducted in two facilities. Data were analysed using a combination of inductive and deductive analytic procedures.

RESULTS: Staffs' beliefs and experiences about the requirements of the quality framework and the funding model fostered a climate of fear and risk adversity that had multiple unintended effects on residents' continence care, incentivising dependence on continence management, and equating effective continence care with effective pad use.

CONCLUSION: There is a need to rethink the quality of continence care and its measurement in Australian residential aged care facilities.

Language: en