title: Life history collages: effects on nursing home staff caring for residents with dementia.
abstract: This study evaluated the effects of person-centered life history collages on nursing staff knowledge about individual residents living with dementia and staff perceptions of individualized care practices. Thirty-six nursing staff participants (18 experimental and 18 control) who cared for 5 residents with dementia in two nursing homes were recruited. Intervention staff members were exposed to life history collages for 4 weeks. Pretest and posttest data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance and analysis of covariance. While intervention group members' knowledge of residents' family, jobs/careers, and likes/dislikes/interests improved significantly at posttest, F(3, 26) = 6.80, p < 0.01, and at 3 weeks postintervention, F(3, 23) = 9.85, p < 0.001, perceptions of individualized care/person-centered care practices did not. Potential reasons for this lack of improvement are identified and discussed. Directions for future research are also provided.
authors.affiliation: Eleanor Mann School of Nursing, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA. bburon@uark.edu
authors.forename: Bill
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Buron
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes; D009740:Nursing Staff; D000078329:Workforce