Abstract
【Objective】This study attempts to clarify the change in awareness of multi-professional cooperation among care staff through a fall prevention program based on person-centered care (PCC).
【Methods】We implemented a fall prevention program for elderly people with dementia at long-term healthcare facilities. The care staff worked as part of a multi-professional collaborative fall prevention team using the knowledge acquired during three months of “training.” Subsequently, three-months of “practice” and “follow ups” were conducted. Of the 57 participants who tended to elderly with dementia, six agreed to a focus group interview (FGI). A FGI was conducted after both the “practice” and the “follow-up.” The interviews were analyzed qualitatively and descriptively. The qualitative analysis was presented to experts and research participants with research experience in dementia nursing. Advice was taken for the interpretation of the analysis to improve reliability and validity.
【Results】There were four categories of changes regarding care staff after the practice phase: “becoming more aware of fall prevention;” “prevent falls by considering the reason for action from the viewpoint of the patient;” “collaborating on multi-professional teams leads to increased motivation for fall prevention;” and “differences in staff consciousness make it difficult to practice fall prevention.” Four categories were obtained regarding changes in consciousness among care staff after the follow-up phase: “establish rules to spread practices based on the fall prevention index;” “modify care according to the individual;” “conferencing is needed for planning fall prevention measures;” and “care staff want to continue collaborative development of fall prevention care.”
【Conclusions】With the PCC-based fall prevention program, improved consciousness among care staff initiated an increase in motivation for fall prevention, considerations of fall prevention from the viewpoint of elderly people with dementia, and a deeper awareness of cooperation among those from multiple occupations. Furthermore, the change in consciousness among care staff continued after the follow-up phase.
