An investigation into resident satisfaction following the implementation of a quality assurance programme at a home for the elderly

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A growing number of elderly citizens are being cared for in residential facilities inSouth Africa. They are highly dependent on those caring for them to meet their basicneeds, as well as maintaining their well-being and human dignity. The quality of careprovided to them could thus have a distinctive influence on their wellness andexperience of quality in their daily lives.The aim of the study was to investigate resident satisfaction following theimplementation of a quality assurance programme at a home for the elderly. Theobjectives of the study included resident satisfaction about structure and processstandards related to the programme, as well as residents' opinion of areas for furtherimprovement. The relationship between the demographic variables and studyvariables was also investigated.Ethics approval to conduct the study was obtained from the Health Research EthicsCommittee of Stellenbosch University. Permission was further obtained from theBoard of Directors of the facility.A descriptive research design with a quantitative approach was applied. Thepopulation consisted of all the residents of the home for the elderly. No samplingmethod was applied. After application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 103(N=103) residents were invited to participate in the study. A self-administeredquestionnaire designed by the researcher was used to collect the data. It consistedmainly of closed-ended questions and a few open-ended questions. A return rate ofwas 50 (n=50) questionnaires was obtained.Reliability and validity were supported by an in-depth literature review, a pilot studyand consultations with experts in geriatric nursing care, a nursing researcher and astatistician.The data was analysed with the assistance of a statistician and computer software.Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to test the internal reliability of thequestionnaire. The results were 0.926, 0.919 and 0.879 respectively for thequestions related to structure-, process – and outcome standards. Non-parametric statistical tests and correlations were applied to the variables. This included the Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman's rank-order correlational coefficient. Thenarrative data generated from the open-ended questions were thematically analysed.The results showed that the participants (n=50) were satisfied with most aspects ofthe facility. They were highly satisfied with the environment, safety aspects andpositive attitude of the staff. However, they were less satisfied with the food services,bathroom facilities and communication processes. Many participants (44%) weredissatisfied with the input they have into the management of the facility.Almost all the participants (98%) indicated that they would recommend the facility totheir friends and family, while only two participants (4%) indicated they would preferto live at another facility.The recommendations were aimed at improvements in the food services andcommunication processes. Other recommendations focused on the maintenance ofthe infrastructure, social interaction and nursing care.It was concluded that a quality assurance programme is needed in homes for theelderly to ensure their well-being. The level of resident satisfaction could furthermorebe used as an indicator of excellence.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University