AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore the experience of HCAs encouraging residents living in residential care to complete the sit-to-stand activity and to identify the strategies HCAs used to integrate the activity into their daily work routines.BACKGROUND: Decreased mobility in advanced ageing is further reduced when entering a residential care facility. Interventions such as the sit-to-stand activity have been shown to have a positive effect on the mobility of older people. There is evidence to suggest that healthcare aides are able to support residents to complete the sit-to-stand activity as part of their daily work routines; however, little is known about how healthcare aides actually do this with residents living in residential care.DESIGN: A qualitative interview study included seven purposively sampled HCAs working in residential care facilities. Semistructured interviews were analysed using inductive qualitative content analysis.RESULTS: The HCAs' experience with the sit-to-stand activity was represented by the following four categories: Resident participation, Feeling misunderstood and disrespected, Time and workload, and Management involvement. HCAs identified three strategies to help them support residents to complete the sit-to-stand activity: Motivating residents, Completing activity in a group and Using time management skills.CONCLUSIONS: HCAs reported some encouragement from managers and cooperation from residents to complete the sit-to-stand activity with residents; however, they also felt constrained by time limitations and workload demands and they felt misunderstood and disrespected. HCAs were able to identify several strategies that helped them to integrate the sit-to-stand activity into their daily routines.IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This study highlights the challenges and supportive factors of implementing the sit-to-stand activity into the daily work routine of HCAs. The study also identifies the strategic role of nurse managers when implementing interventions in residential care facilities.
Activities of Daily Living Aged