Healthcare assistants’ attitudes towards older people and their knowledge about ageing

Main Article Content

Mansour Arrak Bardi Alshammari, ‏Sahw Muteb Mohammed Almutairi, Zeid Aqeel Zeid Alshammari, Yousef Fahed Suleiman Alshammari, Khalid Hamoud Zaid Almutairi, Mohammad Maged Bn Fareh Al Motery

Keywords

Attitude, healthcare assistants, Ireland, knowledge, long-term care, nursing leadership

Abstract

This study aims to assess the attitudes of healthcare assistants (HCAs) towards elderly patients in long-term care settings and their knowledge of aging, with a focus on implications for nursing leadership in Ireland.


Method: A survey was conducted using a convenience sample of HCAs across three long-term care facilities in Ireland.


Results: The study revealed predominantly positive attitudes among HCAs towards older patients. Furthermore, a correlation was observed between a deeper understanding of aging and more positive attitudes among HCAs.


Conclusion: Given the challenges posed by changing population demographics and nursing shortages, it is crucial to prioritize continuing education for HCAs. Nursing leadership plays a pivotal role in driving innovations in education that can enhance HCAs' knowledge and foster positive attitudes towards elderly care.

Abstract 170 | pdf Downloads 167

References

1. Allan, L., & Johnson, J. (2008). Undergraduate attitudes toward the elderly: the role of knowledge, contact, and aging anxiety. Educational Gerontology, 35(1), 1-14.
2. Central Statistics Office. (2013). Population and Labour Force Projections 2016-2046. Retrieved from tinyurl.com/pgx2azv
3. Cowan, T., Fitzpatrick, J., Roberts, J., et al. (2004). Measuring the knowledge and attitudes of health care staff toward older people: sensitivity of measurement instruments. Educational Gerontology, 30(3), 237-254.
4. Doherty, M., Mitchell, E., & O’Neill, S. (2011). Attitudes of healthcare workers towards older people in a rural population: a survey using the Kogan Scale. Nursing Research and Practice. Retrieved from www.hindawi.com/journals/nrp/2011/352627
5. Ferrario, C., Freeman, F., Nellett, G., et al. (2007). Changing nursing students’ attitudes about aging: an argument for the successful aging paradigm. Educational Gerontology, 34(1), 51-66.
6. Gallagher, S., Bennett, K., & Halford, J. (2006). A comparison of acute and long-term health-care personnel’s attitudes towards older adults. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 12(5), 273-279.
7. Griffiths, P., & Robinson, S. (2010). Moving Forward With Healthcare Support Workforce Regulation. A Scoping Review: Evidence, Questions, Risks, and Options. NMC, London.
8. Gunderson, A., Tomkowiak, J., Menachemi, N., et al. (2005). Rural physicians’ attitudes toward the elderly: evidence of ageism? Quality Management in Health Care, 14(3), 167-176.
9. Health Information and Quality Authority. (2014). National Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People in Ireland. Retrieved from tinyurl.com/pthcx3g
10. Hweidi, I., & Al-Hassan, M. (2005). Jordanian nurses’ attitudes towards older patients in acute care settings. International Nursing Review, 52(3), 225-232.
11. Kogan, N. (1961). Attitudes toward old people: the development of a scale and an examination of correlates. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 62(1), 44-54.
12. Kydd, A., Wild, D., & Nelson, S. (2013). Attitudes towards caring for older people: findings and recommendations for practice. Nursing Older People, 25(4), 21-28.
13. Lambrinou, E., Sourtzi, P., Kalokerinou, A., et al. (2009). Attitudes and knowledge of the Greek nursing students towards older people. Nurse Education Today, 29(6), 617-622.
14. Lee, Y-S. (2009). Measures of student attitudes on aging. Educational Gerontology, 35(2), 121-134.
15. Lerner, N., Resnick, B., Galik, E., et al. (2010). Advanced nursing assistant education program. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 41(8), 356-362.
16. Leung, A., Chan, S., Kwan, C., et al. (2012). Service learning in medical and nursing training: a randomized controlled trial. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 17(4), 529-545.
17. Palmore, E. (1998). Ageism: Negative and Positive. Second edition. Springer, New York, NY.
18. Plonczynski, D., Ehrlich-Jones, L., Robertson, J., et al. (2007). Ensuring a knowledgeable and committed gerontological nursing workforce. Nurse Education Today, 27(2), 113-121.
19. Runkawatt, V., Gustafsson, C., & Engstrom, G. (2013). Different cultures but similar positive attitudes: a comparison between Thai and Swedish nursing students’ attitudes towards older people. Educational Gerontology, 39(2), 92-102.
20. Scherer, Y., Bruce, S., Montgomery, C., et al. (2008). A challenge in academia: meeting the healthcare needs of the growing number of older adults. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 20(9), 471-476.
21. Schrader, V. (2009). Nurse educators’ personal perspectives of long-term care settings. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 35(10), 34-41.
22. Söderhamn, O., Lindencrona, C., & Gustavsson, S. (2001). Attitudes toward older people among nursing students and registered nurses in Sweden. Nurse Education Today, 21(3), 225-229.
23. Topaz, M., & Doran, I. (2013). Nurses’ attitudes toward older patients in acute care in Israel. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 18(2).
24. Varkey, P., Chutka, D., & Lesnick, T. (2006). The Aging Game: improving medical students’ attitudes toward caring for the elderly. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 7(4), 224-229.
25. Wren, M-A., Normand, C., O’Reilly, D., et al. (2012). Towards the Development of a Predictive Model of Long-Term Care Demand For Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Retrieved from tinyurl.com/oe9slpd
26. Zampieron, A., Saraiva, M., Corso, M., et al. (2012). An international survey on attitudes of renal nurses towards older people. Journal of Renal Care, 38(4), 213-221.
27. Zucchero, R. (2011). A co-mentoring project: an intergenerational service-learning experience. Educational Gerontology, 37(8), 687-702.