Manual for Residential Aged Care Facilities
While residential respite care has been identified as an essential support for carers of people with dementia, as it provides family carers with an opportunity to take a break from the caring role, there has been carer reluctance to use such services.
Carers have reported that factors contributing to their reluctance to use existing respite services, and in particular, residential respite care, include the perceptions that the respite experience will be detrimental to the health and behavioural stability of the person with dementia, and that carers experience feelings of increased anxiety and guilt when care is relinquished.
In response to these reports, the Person-Centred Model of Residential Respite Care Transition (Transition Support: Person-Centred Care TS-PCC) Program was developed with the aim of improving the experience of Residential Respite Care for people with dementia and their carers. This manual has been designed so that aged care facility staff can utilise the Person-Centred Model of Residential Respite Care Transition Support model which should ultimately benefit the residential aged care facility (RACF) and its staff by ensuring a well-managed admission.
‘Getting to know you’ booklet
This booklet has been developed for use with the Transition Support – Person-Centred Care Program. It provides both materials for assessment and a means of communication about the person moving into residential respite care.
Use this document as a guide to all of the information required to develop the transition tools for the person with dementia transitioning into residential respite care. The social history information can be used to develop the memory book and wall poster, while the care information can be used to guide the development of the lanyard cards and care chart card.
The completed “Getting to know you” booklet can be kept in the respite resident’s room as a ready source of information for staff.
Authors: Prof. Elizabeth Beattie, Dr. Elaine Fielding, Dr. Margaret MacAndrew, Dr Maria O'Reilly, Prof Christine Neville
Partners: Queensland University of Technology
Background:
