Publications by authors named "Joanne Rayner"
Activity programs are run by many nursing homes (also known as residential aged care facilities or long-term care facilities) however little is known about how activities are chosen or how well they meet the needs of residents. The aim of this study was to learn more about activity programs currently offered to older people living in nursing homes in Victoria, Australia. Interviews were undertaken with 13 activities/lifestyle staff working across six nursing homes.
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- Learning Networks, particularly during the second COVID-19 lockdown in Victoria, Australia, were utilized to provide updated information and evidence to healthcare professionals through COVID+ Learning Network webinars.
- A qualitative study involving interviews with 15 participants highlighted that these webinars were effective for engaging health service managers and clinicians, offering vital support during the pandemic.
- The findings emphasize the need for future webinars to be tailored to the specific informational needs of various participant groups, taking into account factors like geographic and socio-economic differences for better effectiveness.
Article Synopsis
- The paper discusses the creation of an interactive online education package aimed at improving the skills of Australia's aged care workforce, in response to previous reports highlighting the necessity for better training.
- This education package uses a heutagogical approach, offering modular content designed by experts, while allowing users to navigate and learn at their own pace without formal assessments.
- The results show that care workers and nurses primarily use the package, with the Dementia program modules being the most sought after, reflecting the workforce's specific educational needs.
Article Synopsis
- This systematic review aimed to identify effective educational interventions to enhance student nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and willingness to work with older adults, a demographic they will frequently encounter in their careers.
- The review analyzed 14 studies focused on various educational approaches, with findings suggesting that while some interventions improved students' negative perceptions of older people, they did not significantly boost their willingness to pursue careers in gerontological nursing.
- The results indicated that hands-on practice courses were particularly effective in increasing students' willingness to work with the elderly, highlighting the need for further research to identify and replicate effective practice-based interventions.
Objective The objective of this study was to explore how health service boards understand care quality for older people living in public sector residential aged care services. Methods Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with board members from six Victorian public health services responsible for the governance of 15 residential aged care services comprising over 850 beds. Transcripts were thematically analysed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To identify factors that health and allied health practitioners consider central to excellence in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) with the objective of supporting improvements in monitoring, accountability and service delivery within the sector.
Methods: In a qualitative, exploratory designed study, interviews were undertaken with seventeen participants from 10 health and allied health disciplines (general practice, dentistry, pharmacy, psychiatry, psychology, neuropsychology, physiotherapy, speech pathology, occupational therapy and palliative care) with experience of working in Victorian RACFs. The interviews focused on how practitioners perceived excellence within RACFs.
Despite the prevalence of mental health concerns among those who live in residential aged care, many residential aged care facilities (RACFs) provide little by way of psychological support. Drawing on qualitative data obtained from interviews with residents from across 15 RACFs in Victoria, Australia, this article adds to understandings about the diversity and impact of mental health challenges experienced by residents, and gaps in the knowledge of staff about how to address such. Thus, it also offers evidence of the urgent need for RACFs to provide residents both better access to specialist mental health practitioners and training to care staff on mental health issues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: To understand why some nursing homes use hospital avoidance programs more frequently than others.
Design: Two hospital avoidance programs, called residential-in-reach services in Victoria, Australia, were evaluated using a qualitative descriptive design.
Methods: Between 2014 and 2018, 127 semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff from nursing homes, general practitioners and staff from the residential-in reach services.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to identify what family carers perceive as indicators of well-performing residential aged care services (RACS) based on their experiences.
- Family carers reported more negative experiences, emphasizing the need for advocacy due to issues like poor management and bad communication, rather than positive features of RACS.
- Building trust and open communication between RACS staff and family carers is essential for improving care experiences for residents, especially those with dementia.
Objective: To report on the conceptualisation of a model for residential aged care in Australia.
Methods: Three-stage approach involving initial model conceptualisation; extensive consultation with stakeholders to test and develop the model for feasibility and acceptability; and examination of whether the model addresses circumstances that arise in scenarios of organisational failure.
Results: A model consisting of five domains relevant to the experience of older adults living in residential aged care-health care; social inclusion; rights; personal care and re-ablement; and dementia management.
Research priorities in residential aged care services: A statewide survey.
Australas J Ageing
March 2020
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to identify research priorities of staff in Victorian residential aged care services (RACS).
- In a survey, 21.5% of RACS highlighted key priorities including workforce issues, dementia management strategies, and funding challenges.
- The findings revealed interrelated concerns, suggesting staff may lack access to existing research due to time constraints and limited resources.
Objective: To investigate decision-making around hospital transfer and/or referral of residents to a Residential InReach (RiR) service in north-eastern metropolitan Melbourne, Australia, from the perspectives of residential aged care facility (RACF) staff, general practitioners (GPs) and RiR registered nurses (RNs).
Methods: Thirty-one staff from eight RACFs, five GPs and four RiR RNs participated in individual or group interviews.
Results: Residential aged care facility staff and GPs valued and relied upon RiR to manage unwell residents.
Objective: To examine the barriers and facilitators among health professionals to providing referrals to Quitline for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients who smoke.
Methods: A brief online survey, based on the Theoretical Domains Framework, was completed by 34 health professionals who work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in South Australia and the Northern Territory.
Results: Respondents who frequently made referrals had higher domain scores than less frequent referrers for 'Skills and knowledge' (M=4.
In Australia, the majority of people with dementia live in the community with informal care provided by family, commonly a spouse. A diagnosis of dementia is a threat to one's personhood and is often accompanied by perceptions of future dependency, which will involve the inability to carry out conventional roles and complete everyday tasks including making decisions. Being able to make decisions, however, is part of being a 'person' and it is through relationships that personhood is defined and constructed.
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- Older individuals in care facilities use complementary medicine (CM) to alleviate chronic illness symptoms, but their usage is not well understood compared to those living independently.
- A study involving 71 participants in residential aged-care facilities in Victoria, Australia, revealed that residents often used CM to help with pain and mobility, though they usually did so secretly and relied on family support for financing.
- Facility policies, funding issues, and concerns from healthcare professionals about the safety and effectiveness of CM contribute to limited access and use in care settings, which may impact the incoming wave of "baby-boomers" seeking similar treatments.
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- Snoezelen therapy is gaining popularity in aged care facilities in Australia, even though there's no solid evidence supporting its effectiveness.
- A study evaluated Snoezelen against common best practices for managing wandering and restlessness in residents with dementia at two facilities in Victoria.
- While immediate behavioral improvements were noted after both Snoezelen and best practice interventions, there were no significant differences between the two methods in reducing dementia-related behaviors.
Perceptions of the solarium ban in Australia: 'Fake it, don't bake it'.
Health Promot J Austr
August 2015
Issue Addressed: The causal link between ultraviolet radiation from solarium use and skin cancer is well established. In 2012 and 2013, state governments across Australia announced plans to ban commercial solarium use from 31 December 2014. The present study examined the responses of solarium and non-solarium users to the ban on commercial solariums in Australia.
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- Women in Australia report lower satisfaction levels with postnatal care compared to antenatal care, but those in private hospitals rate their care more positively than those in public facilities.
- This study explored care providers' perspectives in private hospitals through interviews with midwives and obstetricians.
- Two main themes emerged: 'Constrained Care', highlighting frustrations due to staffing and environmental challenges, and 'Consumer Care', indicating that women's expectations as consumers influence their satisfaction.
- Despite the complexity and challenges, care providers enjoyed their work in postnatal care and further research is needed to address the barriers impacting care quality.
Aims And Objectives: To describe the use of multi-sensory interventions in residential aged care services (RACS) for the management of dementia-related behaviours in residential aged care in Victoria, Australia.
Background: The popularity of multi-sensory interventions has spread worldwide, including for use in residential aged care, despite limited evidence to support their efficacy.
Design: This study reports the findings of the first stage of a two-stage project that was undertaken to describe and evaluate the use of multi-sensory interventions for the management of dementia-related behaviours in all residential aged care facilities in Victoria, Australia.
Use of complementary and alternative medicine in residential aged care.
J Altern Complement Med
November 2012
Objectives: There is increasing evidence of the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by older people living in the community; however, little is known about the use of CAM in residential aged-care facilities (RACF). This review examined the literature on the use of CAM in RACF, focusing on prevalence, motivations, and support for use.
Methods: A search of multiple databases between 2000 and 2010 was conducted.
Article Synopsis
- The study aims to create a list of individual and population-based risk factors linked to very preterm births to help healthcare providers offer better pregnancy care.
- Conducted in Victoria, Australia, from 2002 to 2004, the study involved structured interviews with 603 women who had very preterm births and 796 women who had full-term births.
- The findings indicated that risk factors primarily fell into lifestyle and maternal health categories, with many related to obstetric or gynecological issues, suggesting that understanding these risks can improve pregnancy care strategies.
Older Australian women use complementary fertility care: a practice audit.
J Altern Complement Med
January 2012
Objective: Public health research is an endeavour that often involves multiple relationships, far-reaching collaborations, divergent expectations and various outcomes. Using the Tall Girls Study as a case study, this paper will present and discuss a number of methodological, ethical and legal challenges that have implications for other public health research.
Approach: The Tall Girls Study was the first study to examine the long-term health and psychosocial effects of oestrogen treatment for tall stature.
Intracervical procedures and the risk of subsequent very preterm birth: a case-control study.
Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand
February 2012
Objective: To investigate the relation of prior intracervical procedures with very preterm birth.
Design: A population-based case-control study.
Setting: The study was conducted in Australia between 2002 and 2004.