Contacts among staff members essential to good dementia care
The social networks of nursing staff in nursing and care homes are vital to providing good care to elderly people with dementia. According to Sandra van Beek, more communication and more exchange of advice among care workers lead to better quality of care. Van Beek carried out her research at the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), and received her PhD from Utrecht University on September 30.
Three elderly women sit at the table in the living room of the dementia unit. The table has been carefully laid; the plates are empty. Next to the window, an old woman sings softly to herself, and Mrs. M. sits in a wheelchair next to the door. A Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) comes in and strokes the hair of one of the women at the table. “Have you finished eating?” The woman doesn’t respond. “Hasn’t anyone had breakfast yet?” the CNA asks her colleagues in the kitchen. And she walks over to Mrs. M. to give her her medicine. Later on, another CNA brings Mrs. M. a sandwich and a glass of milk. Mrs. M. pours the glass of milk into the empty medicine cup and onto her dress, and then falls asleep. After a while, an assistant takes her to join the day activity. No one has noticed that she hasn’t had breakfast yet.
Networks
This is an excerpt from the observation Sandra van Beek uses to begin her PhD thesis. The example illustrates the importance of good communication between nursing staff. Van Beek studied the informal social networks among nursing staff in units for residents with dementia in nursing homes and residential homes. Her research was based on the premise that social networks influence the behaviour of staff members and therefore – indirectly – they also influence care processes and residents’ quality of life. She looked at the communication networks of staff members, advice networks, and networks between staff members and relatives and acquaintances of residents with dementia.
Quality
Residents were found to be treated better in units where nursing staff had ties with residents through relatives or acquaintances of residents. More communication among staff, more exchange of advice, and also more contact with relatives were also associated with more social engagement of residents with dementia. Sandra van Beek: “This is an important outcome, as residents with dementia are often unable to maintain their own social contacts. As a result, their social engagement – an important aspect of quality of life – is often low. This study provides tools for improving the social engagement of clients with dementia without additional costs.”
Motivation
Communication networks among nursing staff are also associated with staff members’ job satisfaction, the support they experience, and their work motivation. “This is very important in times of staff shortages, increasing workload, and cutbacks in the Netherlands,” Van Beek argues. “Residents are also given better treatment in units where staff members are more motivated. This is why it’s important for organisations to focus on good communication among staff members – for example, through scheduling, and encouraging informal contact outside of work.” In addition, she would like to draw attention to the relationship between nursing staff and the relatives and acquaintances of residents with dementia. “These contacts are very important. And we’re not just talking about the contacts that exist when relatives come to visit residents, but also about contacts outside the health care organization, as part of daily life. In light of the planned changes to care for the elderly in the Netherlands, such contacts with relatives will probably only become more important for good dementia care.”
Funding
NWO
ZonMw
Cooperating partner
EMGO+ VUmc