The relationship between organizational climate and the content of daily life for people with dementia living in a group-dwelling.
1. One factor influencing the outcome of care may be nursing staff's experience of the organizational work climate. The aim of the study was to investigate how people with dementia spend their time in group-dwelling units (GD) with either a creative or less creative organizational climate. 2. For the study, two GD units assessed as having a creative organizational climate and two units assessed as having a less creative climate were selected. Eighteen residents living in the units assessed as creative and 20 residents living in the units assessed as less creative participated in the study. 3. For measuring the organizational climate the Creative Climate Questionnaire was used. Observations of residents' activities were classified according to the Patient Activity Classification. For measuring residents' functional ability the Multi-Dimensional Dementia Assessment Scale was used. Their cognitive capacity was measured with the Mini Mental State Examination. 4. Residents living in the units assessed as having a creative organizational climate spent 45.2% of the time with nursing staff, while those in the less creative climate spent 25.6% (P < 0.001). Time spent with fellow residents in the creative climate was 13.9% and in the less creative climate 31.3% (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the units according time spent with relatives and time spent alone. 5. Since the purpose of GD is to offer care adapted to the abilities and psychosocial needs of people suffering from dementia, a less creative climate can be a threat to the aims of GD. In order to maintain these, it is important for managers to be aware of the work climate and its impact on care for people with dementia.
Norbergh
Karl-Gustaf
KG
Department of Nursing and Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, Sundsvall, Sweden. karl-gustaf.norberg@mh.se
Hellzén
Ove
O
Sandman
Per-Olaf
PO
Asplun
Kenneth
K
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003405:Creativity; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005852:Geriatric Psychiatry / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015279:Organizational Culture; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D012112:Residential Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013548:Sweden; D013997:Time Factors