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RELATIVES SATISFACTION
WITH CARE PROVIDED
3 Results
3.1 Respondent
Profile
3.2 Residents
3.3 Care
3.4 Activities
3.5 Staff
3.6
Food
3.7 Environment
3.8 Input to Care
3.1 Respondent
Profile
The majority of respondents
(72%) were female. Sixty per cent of respondents came to
the Homes to visit a parent (figure 3.1).
Figure 3.1 - Who relatives
came to visit
Over 80% of respondents visited
their relative at least once a week, with 14% visiting daily
(figure 3.2). Some of those who visited infrequently, explained
they lived outside Northern Ireland.
Figure 3.2 - Frequency
of visiting
3.2 Residents
Over three-quarters of individuals
had been resident in a nursing or residential home for over
one year (table 3.1).
Table 3.1 - Length of time
resident in Home
| |
Total
|
Nursing Home
|
Residential Home
|
| Less than 6 months |
9%
|
9%
|
10%
|
| 6 months - 1 year |
14%
|
13%
|
14%
|
| More than 1 year |
77%
|
77%
|
75%
|
| Base |
1838
|
1048
|
790
|
3.3 Care
3.3.1 Consultation with
relatives
In both nursing and residential
homes, over 90% of respondents were consulted about their
relatives' needs, when they first came to the Home. Of these,
almost all felt that their views had been taken into account
(96% in nursing homes and 98% in residential homes).
3.3.2 Assistance required
and received
The proportion of residents
requiring assistance with a range of daily activities varied
between those in nursing and residential homes (figure 3.3).
The results reflect the nature of care provided in each
setting, as nursing homes provide for individuals with more
complex needs and higher dependency levels.
Figure 3.3 - Assistance
required by residents
Overall, at least 94% of respondents
felt that their relative was being provided with the necessary
assistance. However, some respondents were concerned about
the frequency of bathing and toileting of their relatives.
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At times I feel my relative has not been bathed frequently
enough and despite requesting it, his hair and on
occasions [his] nails needs cutting.
When I am present mum is toileted, when I am absent
she is taken at set times.
I hear residents calling out begging to go to the
toilet and all they get is "in a minute" and they
have been in tears. I had been in for an hour and
they still had not got.
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3.3.3 Care provision
The majority of respondents
(94%) felt that their relative was receiving the care he
or she needed in the Homes. Satisfaction was slightly higher
for care received in residential homes (97%).
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The standard of care that my mother
receives is well above average. She is treated with
kindness and courtesy in everyday matters.
My mother and father are very content
in the Home, are treated very well and their needs
are well catered for.
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Reasons given by those who
felt their relative was not receiving all the necessary
care included:
- Home short staffed / high staff
turnover
- residents not encouraged to be
active
- individual attention limited
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Arrived to find my father nearly falling off his
chair, he had been like this for some time, but the
staff just ignored this. Sometimes he is soaking wet.
I feel the residents are left to sit in the lounge
all day, with pop music playing instead of music from
their own era.
Residents are dealt with largely on a group basis.
Care and activities need to be more client orientated.
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3.3.4 Laundering of clothes
While the majority of respondents
were satisfied with the laundering of their relative's clothes
by the Homes, 13% were dissatisfied.
Differences were observed
between the two settings, with 17% of respondents with a
relative in a nursing home expressing dissatisfaction, compared
to 7% of respondents with a relative in a residential home.
The main causes of dissatisfaction
were:
- items being wrongly washed and
damaged
- items being lost/missing
- items not washed often enough
or not washed well
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Long delays before washing is available. Items of
clothing missing though marked with name.
When the regular member of laundry staff is not on
duty, there is deterioration. Clothes are not properly
put away. I found a shirt folded in a drawer with
a white stain still remaining. I found two jumpers
with the neck not properly dried.
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Over one-quarter of respondents
(28%) stated their relative, on at least one occasion, had
been dressed in other residents' clothes. However, differences
were found between nursing and residential homes (table
3.2).
Table 3.2 - Percentage
of residents ever dressed in others' clothes
| |
Overall
|
Nursing Homes
|
Residential Homes
|
| % whose relative has been
dressed in others clothes |
28%
|
37%
|
15%
|
While the percentage of residents
being dressed in other residents' clothes was high, particularly
in nursing homes, few relatives commented upon this.
| My mother was dressed in another residents'
clothing on two occasions however after I raised it
with the matron it has not happened since. |
3.3.5 Visiting arrangements
Almost all respondents (98%)
stated that they were able to visit their relative at any
time, and were satisfied with the Home's visiting arrangements.
However, a small proportion felt there was a lack of privacy;
a lack of seats; and too much noise during their visit.
In both nursing and residential
homes, over half of the respondents met their relative in
the residents' lounge (figure 3.4).
Figure 3.4 - Where residents
and relatives meet
Overall, 91% of respondents
agreed that they were encouraged to visit their relative.
There was little difference between encouragement to visit
given in nursing and residential homes (89% and 93% respectively).
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