Type of Document Master's Thesis Author Ross, April Dawn Author's Email Address apriljune22@aim.com URN etd-04232007-210033 Title Caring For Residents With Dementia In Assisted Living Facilities: The Experiences of the Care Staff Degree Master of Arts Department Gerontology Advisory Committee
Advisor Name Title Dr. Mary Ball, PhD Committee Chair Dr. Frank Whittington, PhD Committee Member Dr. Jaye Atkinson, PhD Committee Member Keywords
- Workload
- Dementia Care Unit
- Dissatisfaction
- Satisfaction
- Turnover
- Assisted Living Facility
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Teamwork
- Problem Behaivors
- Race
Date of Defense 2007-04-18 Availability restricted Abstract Within Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs), high staff turnover and the foreseeable future shortage in the workforce population have created a growing urgency to increase the retention of workers in this field. This study examines the experiences of care workers in the dementia care units (DCUs) of ALFs. The specific aims are to learn: 1) what these workers find frustrating and satisfying about their job; and 2) what are the individual-level (e.g., race, education, employment history) and facility-level (e.g., size of unit, workload) factors that affect how they feel about their job. We used qualitative data from interviews with 45 staff and observations gathered in DCUs in five ALFs that varied in size, location, and race of staff. Findings show that workers' sources of dissatisfaction included heavy workloads, lack of teamwork, and residents' racist remarks and other problem behaviors. Positive relationships with residents were a primary source of satisfaction.Files
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