The deteriorating resident in residential aged care: A focus group study

Aim: To better understand aged care nursing staff perceptions regarding the deteriorating resident.Background: Age and multiple comorbidities contribute to the likelihood of deteriorating health in the aged care setting and efforts are underway to prevent unnecessary hospitalisation. Aged care nursing staff play a key role in managing a deteriorating resident yet their perceptions regarding this area of their work is under reported. Method: Thematic analysis of data from four focus groups comprised of nursing staff at a residential aged care facility in Australia was undertaken.Findings: Six themes were identified: (1) Knowing the person. Because Personal Carers provide daily basic care they know residents intimately and are the first to notice changes. (2) Communicating changes.Multiple stakeholders need to know when a resident deteriorates and nurses are at the center of the communication process. (3) Staying “home”. Nursing staff believe hospitalisation is traumatic for residents and prefer to keep them in familiar surroundings. (4) “What about me?” Other residents seek attention when staff focus on a deteriorating resident. (5) Workload implications. Caring for a deteriorating resident adds to an already heavy workload. (6) Feeling undervalued. Nursing staffs are not recognised for their important work.Conclusion: To support nursing staff in their preference to keep residents in their “home”, concerns regarding training, communication, workload, and feeling undervalued need to be further explored and addressed.