Residential aged care staff awareness of and engagement with dementia-specific support services and education

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine residential aged care (RAC) staff awareness of and engagement with dementia-specific support services and education. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of staff (n = 179) from 36 Victorian RAC facilities. RESULTS: 60% (n = 107) of respondents were aware of dementia-specific support services, but only 27% (n = 48) accessed services in the previous 2 years. Approximately 77% (n = 137) were aware of dementia-specific education, with 66% (n = 115) completing education in the previous 2 years. A significantly higher proportion of registered nurses had accessed dementia-specific support services in the past 2 years compared with enrolled nurses and personal care assistants (P ..