Nursing home care workers' knowledge in dysphagia management : effectiveness of a training programme

Abstract

This study explores the knowledge in dysphagia management of carers including health workers (HWs), care workers (CWs) and care worker assistants (CWAs) in Hong Kong nursing homes. It also examines the effectiveness of a training programme on improving CWs knowledge in dysphagia management. In Phase I, 58 carers recruited from 5 local nursing homes completed questionnaire about knowledge of dysphagia management and 14 carers were observed for their feeding behaviors. In Phase II, a quasi-experimental design was employed to study of the effectiveness of a training programme. Insufficient knowledge and undesirable feeding behaviors in dysphagia management are identified in carers. The training programme is suggested to be effective in increasing carers’ knowledge in dysphagia management. Supervision of feeding is indicated to have influences on the feeding behaviors. Reasons of carers holding insufficient knowledge of dysphagia management and performing improper feeding behaviors are discussed. Recommendations of how to improve them are provided.