Verification of the Validity and Reliability of Care Outcomes of Dementia ; Investigation by Support Standards for the Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia

Abstract

This study investigated care practitioners in long-term care health facilities and verified the validity and reliability of care outcomes, using the support standards for the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia（SS-BPSD）. A questionnaire survey was administered to 1,275 nurses and 1,275 care workers at 255 facilities in 4 prefectures in the Tokai region. Validity and reliability were analyzed for SS-BPSD. There questionnaires were collected from 577 nurses (45.3%) and 581 care workers (45.6%). Of these, 482 nurses (37.8%) and 504 care workers (39.5%), whose SS-BPSD questionnaires yielded no missing data, were analyzed. Explanatory component analysis with promax rotation and confirmatory factor analysis were performed. In the exploratory factor analysis, support standards items were divided into four factors; none exhibited a factor loading below .40. All alpha values and element correlation processions of low-ranking items were correlated; so, internal consistency was verified. In confirmatory factor analysis, the comparative fit index was .912; a value exceeding .90 was considered suitable. Because the root mean square error of approximation was .066, its related criterion (below .08) was satisfied. Therefore, the fidelity of a hypothetical model obtained from the exploratory factor analysis was verified. A significant correlation was observed between all low-ranking items of the scale of communication strategies and those of SS-BPSD (p < .01); so, the validity of SS-BPSD was verified. The internal consistency, construct validity, and concurrent validity of the support standards were confirmed. There is useful for evaluating care outcomes of BPSD characteristics observed among elderly persons, and for improvement of the quality of dementia care.