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The experiences of staff concerning the introduction and impact of a fall prevention intervention in aged care facilities: a qualitative study
Author(s) -
Butler Meg,
Kerse Ngaire,
Coggan Carolyn
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
australasian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 1440-6381
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-6612.2003.tb00503.x
Subject(s) - thematic analysis , intervention (counseling) , nursing , focus group , qualitative research , work (physics) , psychology , fall prevention , principal (computer security) , medicine , suicide prevention , poison control , medical emergency , sociology , mechanical engineering , social science , anthropology , computer science , engineering , operating system
Objective: Falls in aged care facilities are a major public health concern. A pilot study tested the acceptability of a falls risk management intervention. Method: Focus group discussions with care giving staff and falls coordinators and individual interviews with principal nurse managers were taped and transcribed and thematic analysis identified main issues for staff in utilising the intervention. Results: Acceptance of the intervention was high for principal nurse managers and falls coordinators, although the paper work was found to be time consuming. While most caregivers found undertaking fall prevention strategies worthwhile, others found such strategies were irrelevant to them as they “knew” their residents. Conclusions: Among all levels of staff, falls among residents were regarded as stressful events. While the general acceptunce of the intervention programme was high, resistance to changing practices of care by some staff could limit the wider implementation of such a programme. Further research is needed to examine appropriate delivery of educational messages for caregivers, which include multiple cultural understandings.