Development and Validation of an Assessment Index for Dementia Care in Nursing Homes for the Elderly

Abstract

  The study aimed to create an evaluation index for dementia care practiced by nurses and long-term care workers in nursing homes for the elderly, and to examine its reliability and validity. The original evaluation index consisted of 55 items that were created from a literature review and interviews. A questionnaire survey was conducted for 817 nurses and care workers at nursing homes for the elderly. Among the questionnaires collected, 653 response forms were analyzed. Based on the results of item analysis and exploratory factor analysis, 5 factors and 33 items were selected. A confirmation factor analysis was subsequently conducted with the following findings: GFI=0.844, AGFI=0.819, CFI=0.910, and RMSEA = 0.065. The total score of the dementia care evaluation index was significantly higher for those who participated in the dementia workshop (p = 0.003) and for those who performed care reflection with others (p <0.001). Cronbach’s alpha for the coefficient factors was 0.849–0.933 and was 0.961 overall. Although the goodness-of-fit index did not meet the recommended values for some items, it was interpreted as an acceptable range. The index that included 5 factors and 33 items was confirmed to have significant reliability and validity.