Digital Life Stories Within Residential Aged Care Settings: Implications for Staff Knowledge and Person-Centred Care Practices

Abstract

Aims: First, to investigate residential aged care staff's knowledge and understanding of residents after viewing their digital life story. Second, to examine the stability of this knowledge and understanding. Third, to explore staff's self-reported care practices following digital life story viewing.

Background: Australian aged care quality standards include person-centred care practices, although opportunity for residents' identity expression can be limited by the facility environment. Staff cannot implement such practices without first understanding residents' history, preferences, and values.

Design: The study used a convergent mixed methods design.

Methods: Residential aged care staff (n = 61) viewed a resident's digital life story and completed a measure of their knowledge and understanding of the resident at pre-test, post-test, and follow-up. At post-test and follow-up, staff were also asked to indicate if viewing the story had improved their interactions and care practices with the resident and to describe changes in their practice. Pre-test, post-test and follow-up scores of the measure were compared using a repeated measures analysis of variance with post hoc comparisons. Qualitative responses were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results: Scores at post-test and follow-up were significantly higher than at pre-test, showing a stable improvement in knowledge and understanding of residents. Staff responses indicated their knowledge and understanding of residents' life story enhanced their care towards the residents.

Conclusion: Watching digital life stories was associated with stable improvements in staff's knowledge of residents, with staff feeling better equipped to personalise care practices.

Impact on Clinical Practice: Digital life stories about aged-care residents may support staff's improved knowledge and understanding of their care-recipients. With such understanding, staff are more equipped to implement person-centred care practices by Australian aged care quality standards.

Reporting Method: The study adhered to guidelines for Revised Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE 2.0).

Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution. Show more