Factors associated with the acceptance of employing nursing assistants aged 65 and older among those younger than 65 years old

Abstract

Objectives: Japan has implemented a policy to facilitate the employment of people aged 65 and older. It should be common practice for hospitals to employ older nursing assistants. We investigated factors associated with the acceptance of employing older nursing assistants among those younger than 65.

Materials and Methods: The subjects were female nursing assistants younger than 65 working in 30 hospitals. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted. We performed factor analyses of both respondents’ opinions on the employment of “Nursing assistants aged 65–69” and “Nursing assistants aged 70–74”. To examine the associations between the “Acceptance of employing nursing assistants aged 65–69” and the “Opinions on the employment of nursing assistants aged 65–69”, we conducted multiple regression analysis (Statistical Model 1). To examine the associations between the “Acceptance of employing nursing assistants aged 70–74” and the “Opinions on the employment of nursing assistants aged 70–74”, we also conducted multiple regression analysis (Statistical Model 2).

Results: By factor analyses of the opinions on the employment of both “Nursing assistants aged 65–69” and “Nursing assistants aged 70–74”, the same factors were extracted. These factors were: “Health and job performance”, “Utilization of the knowledge and experience of older nursing assistants”, “Reducing the workload of nursing assistants”, and “Manners of older nursing assistants”. By multiple regression analyses in both “Statistical Models 1 and 2”, “Health and job performance”, “Utilization of the knowledge and experience of older nursing assistants”, and “Reducing the workload of nursing assistants” were significant variables. Moreover, only in “Statistical Model 1”, full-time nursing assistants were more accepting of employing nursing assistants aged 65–69 compared to part-time nursing assistants.

Conclusion: To facilitate the acceptance of employing older nursing assistants, hospital managers should pay careful attention to these findings.