A controlled trial with a delayed intervention design.
Four community, for-profit nursing homes.
A total of 169 long-stay nursing home residents who required staff assistance with morning care and were able to express their care preferences.
Research staff held weekly training sessions with nurse aides (NAs) for 12 consecutive weeks focused on how to offer choice during four targeted morning care areas: when to get out of bed, when to get dressed/what to wear, incontinence care (changing and/or toileting), and where to dine. Training sessions consisted of brief video vignettes illustrating staff-resident interactions followed by weekly feedback about how often choice was being provided based on standardized observations of care conducted weekly by research staff.
Research staff conducted standardized observations during a minimum of 4 consecutive morning hours per participant per week for 12 weeks of baseline and 12 weeks of intervention.
There was a significant increase in the frequency that choice was offered for 3 of the 4 targeted morning care areas from baseline to intervention: (1) out of bed, 21 % to 33 % (P < .001); dressing, 20 % to 32 % (P < .001); incontinence care, 18 % to 23 % , (P < .014). Dining location (8 % to 13 % ) was not significant. There was also a significant increase in the amount of NA staff time to provide care from baseline to intervention (8.01 ¡À 9.0 to 9.68 ¡À 9.9 minutes per person, P < .001).
A staff training intervention improved the frequency with which NAs offered choice during morning care but also required more time. Despite significant improvements, choice was still offered one-third or less of the time during morning care.