Understanding the role of an educational model in developing knowledge of caring for older persons with dementia
Section snippets
Background
Statistics show that the number of older people in Sweden and in the rest of the world is increasing. One in nine of the world's population is 60 years or older, and this number is expected to increase to one in five before 2050 (United Nations Population Fund and Help Age International, 2012). The need for health personnel to care for the growing number of older people will increase worldwide (European Economic and Social Committee, 2013).Today, there are approximately 150,000 persons living
Research design
A qualitative method using a phenomenographic approach was used in the study, and was based on interviews with staff working in a nursing home for older persons with dementia. Interviews provided an understanding of how staff perceived their knowledge of dementia care obtained through this educational model, as well as how that knowledge was applied within the organization where they worked. Marton (1986) suggests that within phenomenography, there is a distinction between “what something is”
Data collection
The study took place at a nursing home in a metropolitan area in Sweden. The selection criteria where based on respondents having completed Step 1 of the Silviahemmet certification model. 150 persons were employed at the nursing home, and from the list of names of those who had completed the education, every tenth was selected, resulting in 15 persons, all assistant nurses, who were then asked to participate in the study. Out of these 15, three declined to participate. The respondents worked as
Findings
The analyses revealed three themes which are presented below.
Discussion
The results from this study indicate that participating in the educational program made the staff realize and acknowledge their tacit knowledge. They perceived that they in fact “knew something”, having worked in the way the content of the education prescribed, but not having previously recognized this or reflected upon what they did (c.f. Polanyi, 1962). This provides an understanding of how important it is for persons working within dementia care, irrespective of previous education or work
Conclusions
The results from this small study indicate the need for a common theoretical knowledge and value system to reach coherence in the work with persons with dementia. In most groups of staff working in dementia care there is a range of different knowledge. Thus, in order to reach the entire staff with an educational program, a balancing act is necessary to reach an understanding and evoke an interest in all staff in developing the care of persons with dementia. The results also point to the
Conflict of interest
There is no conflict of interest regarding this work.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful for the financial support of the project from Queen Silvia Foundation for Research and Education. We are also grateful to Ms Gunbrith Reinius for help with transcribing the interviews and to Mr Michael Cole for language revision.
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