Wenche Malmedal and Christiana Anyan
The aim of this study was to explore how Ghanaian staff in nursing homes and hospitals perceive abuse and neglect of older adults as well as to explore the nature and scope of…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to explore how Ghanaian staff in nursing homes and hospitals perceive abuse and neglect of older adults as well as to explore the nature and scope of abuse and neglect of older adults as it exists in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
This exploratory study used a qualitative research methodology that sets out to explore staff’s perception of elder abuse in nursing homes and hospitals in Ghana. Five nursing assistants and two caregivers were interviewed in two nursing homes and four nurses were interviewed in one hospital. A semi-structured interview guide was used for data collection.
Findings
The findings showed that elder abuse occurs in both hospitals and nursing homes, which might be attributed to different personal, situational and institutional characteristics as well as cultural and traditional value systems. Various factors at the level of interpersonal relationships contributed to elder abuse. Situational characteristics such as aggressive exchanges between residents and health workers and institutional characteristics such as limited facilities and resources to care for residents are all factors that were implicated in elder abuse. Finally, culture and traditional views, beliefs system and socioeconomic factors seem to be implicated in elder abuse and neglect.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that explores elder abuse and neglect in Ghanaian nursing homes and hospitals.
Details
Keywords
Janne Myhre, Wenche Karin Malmedal, Susan Saga, Joan Ostaszkiewicz and Sigrid Nakrem
The purpose of this study is to explore the factors that influence the reporting of adverse events related to elder abuse and neglect in nursing homes from nursing home leaders'…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the factors that influence the reporting of adverse events related to elder abuse and neglect in nursing homes from nursing home leaders' perspectives. Good leadership requires in-depth knowledge of the care and service provided and the ability to identify and address problems that can arise in clinical practice.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative explorative design with data triangulation was used. The sample consisted of 43 participants from two levels of nursing home leadership, representing six municipalities and 21 nursing homes in Norway. Focus group interviews were undertaken with 28 ward leaders and individual interviews with 15 nursing home directors. The constant comparative method was used for the analyses.
Findings
Both ward leaders and nursing home directors described formal and informal ways of obtaining information related to elder abuse and neglect. There were differences between their perceptions of the feasibility of obtaining formal reports about abuse in the nursing home. Three main categories of influencing factors emerged: (1) organisation structural factors, (2) cultural factors and (3) abuse severity factors. A main finding is that in its present form, the Norwegian adverse event reporting system is not designed to detect abuse and neglect.
Originality/value
This paper provides an in-depth understanding of patient safety and factors related to reporting elder abuse in nursing homes in Norway.
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Wenche Malmedal, Randi Hammervold and Britt-Inger Saveman
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors that influence the probability that staff will commit acts of inadequate care, abuse, and neglect.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors that influence the probability that staff will commit acts of inadequate care, abuse, and neglect.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional survey study was carried out in one county in the middle of Norway (Sør-Trøndelag). Random sampling, stratified by size of nursing homes, and location (rural or urban areas), was used to select a variety of nursing homes from a total population of 55 nursing homes. All staff working in 16 nursing homes working were asked to participate in the study. A response rate of 79 per cent was achieved (n=616).
Findings
Findings reveal that location and size of the nursing home, age of the staff, education level, job satisfaction, resident aggression, and conflicts between residents and staff predict inadequate care, abuse, and neglect. The most consistent findings are that resident aggression increases the risk for all three types of inadequate care, and that conflicts predict different types of inadequate care depending on whether the conflicts are related to direct care-giving activities or not.
Practical implications
Nursing home care is an important part of care for the elderly, and should be characterized by good-quality services. The relation between inadequate care and resident aggression, conflicts, and other factors shown in this study points to the relevance of further improvements in nursing home practices to minimize the occurrence of episodes of inadequate care, abuse, and neglect.
Originality/value
This study investigated the relationships between 11 specific factors and different types of inadequate care in a nursing home context.