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Need assessment and profile of services provided by the staff in old age homes

Article in Indian Journal Of Applied Research · May 2021

DOI: 10.36106/ijar/7813054

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 Volume - 11 | Issue - 05 | May - 2021 | PRINT ISSN No. 2249 - 555X | DOI : 10.36106/ijar
Original Research Paper
Psychiatric Social Work

NEED ASSESSMENT AND PROFILE OF SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE

STAFF IN OLD AGE HOMES

Ph.D. Scholar in Psychiatric Social Work Department of Psychiatric Social Work,

Manjunatha National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru-560029.
Shivarudraiah* *Corresponding Author
Thirumoorthy Professor of Psychiatric Social Work, Department of Psychiatric Social Work, National
Ammapattian Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India.
Associate Professor of Psychiatric Social Work, Department of Psychiatric Social
Sojan Antony Work, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India.
Palanimuthu
Professor of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences,
Thangaraju Bengaluru, India.
Sivakumar
ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: The staff of the old age homes being the primary caregivers to the elderly, can ensure that the health
issues are addressed. Therefore, they need knowledge on aging, needs and care services for residents, and ways of
providing individualized care and support for senior citizens in old age homes.
METHODOLOGY: Four old age homes were selected; purposive sampling was used. 4 old age home founders and 20 old age home residents,
that ve from each old age home were formed samples. The representatives of old-age home managers and residents were interviewed. The
datasheet was prepared to collect information such as facilities, admission criteria, and services.
RESULTS: Among the manager, three males and one female respondent, and nine males and 12 females old age home residents. Old age homes
belongings to charitable homes and private homes. Majority of the old age homes doesn't have health professional. Descriptive analysis was used
to analyse the data.
CONCLUSION: The staff working in the old age homes requires training in psychosocial issues and interventions for the institutionalized
elderly. The training programme will improve the knowledge about needs and psychosocial interventions for old age home residents.
Furthermore, it would enable the staff to provide individualized psychosocial care and support for old age home residents, which are not present
in many old age homes.
KEYWORDS : Old age homes, Prole of services, Assessment
INTRODUCTION: English or Kannada were included in the study. All the participants
Worldwide, the population is aging speedily. Between 2015 to 2050, were explained about the research and recruited after obtaining the
the proportion of the world's population over sixty years will nearly written informed consent. The representatives of old age home
double, from 12% to 22%. Mental health and well being are as crucial management and staff working were interviewed. The datasheet was
in elderly age as at any other time of life. Mental disorders among older prepared to collect information such as facilities, admission criteria,
adults account for 6.6% of the total disability for this age group. and care services. Statistical analysis was carried out using R software.
Approximately 15% of elderly aged 60 and over have a mental illness. Descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, frequency, and
(Word Health Organization 2017). A decline in health status, income percentage were used to present descriptive data.
insecurity, isolation, loneliness, and the generation gap are other
prominent areas of frustration among the Indian elderly (Raju 2014). RESULTS
Table: 1 Sociodemographic Background Of Old Age Homes
The current era in India known section that the number of old age Manager
homes was increasing more and more. Old age homes are meant for the Sex of the n % Education n % Type of Old Age n %
lower socioeconomic status and destitute and usually managed by managers Home
charitable old age homes. Still, in recent years, private old age homes Male 3 75 BA 3 75 Charitable 3 75
have paid facilities and have also appeared to provide to the needs of
middle and upper-middle-class older persons, who can pay for care in Female 1 25 MSc 1 25 Private 1 25
old age. The success of the Old Age Homes will depend upon the type Nursing
of staff running it. The staff should have an interest in the welfare of the Total 4 100 Total 4 100 Total 4 100
aged and understand their problems. Table 1 describes that most old age home managers belong to males,
and most of them studied up to BA graduation. Three old age home
Usually, the staff's ratio to the inmates should be 1:10 or as near to it as belongings to charitable homes and one old age home belongings to
possible. Some staff members should stay on the premises of the private homes.
institution. There should be adequate nursing staff (Thomas, 2018). A
need to have geriatric wards with specialized professionals with Table:2 Sociodemographic background of old age home residents
psychiatric and medical social workers and subsidized health care Age in years N % Sex N %
services in old age homes (Boralingaiah, Bettappa, & Kashyap, 2012).
60-69 7 35 Male 9 45
METHODOLOGY 70-79 10 55 Female 12 55
This study was carried out in four old age homes in Bengaluru urban 80-90 3 15 Total 20 100
district, Karnataka, India. The ethical approval was obtained from the Total 20 100
Institutional Ethics Committee National Institute of Mental Health and Mean ± SD 70.95 (7.71)
Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India. (No. NIMH/DO/IEC Religious status N % Socio Economic Status N %
(BEH.Sc.DIV), 2019). Used purposive sampling, four old age home
Hindu 16 80 Lower socio-economic 14 70
founders and 20 inmates from four old age homes were selected. The
old age homes were selected from the list given by the Department for Christian 4 20 Middle socio-economic 6 30
the Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens, Total 20 100 Total 20 100
Government of Karnataka (2015). The participants who are uent in Marital Status N % Previous occupation N %
INDIAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH 13
 Volume - 11 | Issue - 05 | May - 2021 | PRINT ISSN No. 2249 - 555X | DOI : 10.36106/ijar
Married 2 10 Assistant in school 2 10 Library n % TV/ n % Religious activities n %
Single 4 20 Clerk 1 5 Radio
Divorce 5 25 Deputy Commander 1 5 Yes 3 75 Yes 4 100 Yes 4 100
Widower 5 25 Executive in the telephone 1 5 No 1 25 No 0 00 No 0 00
department Total 4 100 Total 4 100 Total 4 100
Widow 4 20 Hairdressers 1 5 Outing to n % Sports n% Old age home open n %
Total 20 100 Helper 1 5 religious places facilities space for physical
Education N % hotel manager 2 10 exercises
B. Com 1 5 Nurse 1 5 Yes 1 25 Yes 2 50 Yes 3 75
BA 2 10 Private company 2 10 No 3 75 No 2 50 No 1 25
D in Mechanic 1 5 private school teacher 2 10 Total 4 100 Total 4 100 Total 4 100
MA 1 5 Government school teacher 2 10 Table 4 indicated that the old age home refreshment facilities
MA Bed 1 5 Not worked 4 20 distribution, N=3, (75%) of the old age homes had library facilities.
PUC 3 15 Total 20 100 N=1 (25%) of the old age home did not have library facilities, N=3,
(75%) of the old age homes not have an outing to religious places, and
SSLC 11 55 N=1 (25%) of the old age home had a tour to holy places. N=4, (100%)
Total 20 100 of the old age homes had TV/ Radio facilities, N=2 (50%) of the old age
Table 2 describes that the residents' age ranged from 60 to 90 years, homes had sports facilities, and N=2 (50%) of the old age homes not
with a mean of 70.95 (± 7.71). The majority (55% N=11) were female, had sports facilities. N=4, (100%) of the old age homes had religious
and the remaining were male (45% N=9). 80% (N=16) followed the activities. N=3, (75%) of the old age homes had open space for
Hindu religion, and the remaining were Christian religion 20% (N=4). physical exercises, and N=1 (25%) of the old age home did not have
About 25% (N=5) of them were divorced, 25% (N=5) of them were free space for physical activities.
widower, a widower 20% (N=4), and another 20% (N=4) were
unmarried. Half of the respondents (55% N=11) studied up to 10th DISCUSSION
Standard, (15% N=3) studied up to PUC, 10% (N=2) had completed A total of 20 inmates from 4 old age homes participated in the study.
them BA, 5% (N=1) completed B.com, 5% (N=1) completed master of The current research shows that old age homes are three established
arts (MA), 5% (N=1) completed Diploma in Mechanic and remaining under charitable homes and one old home set under private homes.
5% (N=1) completed MA Bed. The majority of the residents were from Similarly, study at Lucknow city, participants of old age homes were
lower socioeconomic status (70% N=14), remaining of the residents established under trust, religious organization, and government
were from middle socioeconomic (30% N=6), and the majority of the (Tiwari, Pandey, & Singh, 2012). Another study from old age homes
respondents were previously working in either Government or Private was also found under public and private old age homes (Gupta, Mohan,
sector, whereas 20% of them are unemployed and have never been Tiwari, Singh, & Singh, 2014).
employed.
The participants' sociodemographic characteristics, 20 inmates from 4
Table: 3 Old age homes health professionals' profile and facilities old age homes. The participants' age ranged from 60 to 90 years Old
age home-based studies, which explore the views of the elderly from
Physician n % Nurses n% Social n% the age group 60 years and above. Akbar et al. (2014) are essential to
(Visiting) worker have insiders' views on the needs of inmates. The majority of the study
Yes 2 50Yes 3 75 Yes 0 00 participants were also females, similar to other studies in the past
No 2 50No 1 25 No 4 100 reported women residents' homes in the principal southern cities of
Total 4 100
Total 4 100 Total 4 100 Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Thiruvananthapuram (Subba, &
Nursing assistant n % Ward n% Ambulance n% Subba, 2015; Kalavar, & Jamuna, 2011).
attender facilities
Yes 2 50 Yes 4 100 Yes 3 75 The responses of old age homes managers reported that having health
professionals' prole and facilities in their old age homes are half of the
No 2 50 No 0 00 No 1 25
old age homes had physicians, had a referral system, do not have to
Total 4 100 Total 4 100 Total 4 100 visit psychiatry in their old age homes, had nurses in their old age
Referral n % Psychologist n% Free n% homes, ward attendees in their old age homes, do not have to visit
medication clinical psychologists in their old age homes. All old age homes had
Yes 4 100
Yes 0 00 Yes 3 75 physiotherapists in their old age homes, not have trained professional
No 0 00No 4 100 No 1 25 social workers in their old age homes, had ambulance facilities in their
Total 4 100
Total 4 100 Total 4 100 old age homes, had accessible medication facilities, did not have free
Psychiatrist n % Physiotherapi n % medication facilities in their old age homes. A study at Lucknow
(Visiting) st reported that services like medical services, recreational facilities,
safety, space availability, and staff availability were signicantly better
Yes 1 25 Yes 2 50
in their old age homes (Gupta, Mohan, Tiwari, Singh, & Singh, 2014).
No 3 75 No 2 50 The responses of old age home have an open space for physical
Total 4 100 Total 4 100 exercises/ yoga/meditation. The founder of old age homes reported
Table 3 indicated that the old age home health professionals' prole that most old age homes had open space for physical exercises.
and facilities, N=2 (50%) of the old age homes had physicians, N=2 Similarly, a study said most of the respondents engaged in outdoor
(50%) of the old age homes not had physicians. N=2 (50%) of the old leisure activities and physical activities done by old age home residents
age homes had health workers. N=4, (100%) of the old age homes had a (Onunkwor, et al., 2016).
referral system. N=3, (75%) of the old age homes do not have to visit
psychiatry, N=1 (25%) of the old age home had to visit psychiatry. CONCLUSION
N=3, (75%) of the old age homes had nurses, and N=1 (25%) of the old The current study explored a very important need assessment and
age home did not have nurses. N=4, (100%) of the old age homes had prole of the staff working in the old age homes. Old age home staff
ward attenders. N=4, (100%) of the old age homes do not have to visit need to undergo training on understanding the aging and health care
clinical psychologists. N=2 (50%) of the old age homes had needs of the elderly. They can act as a change agent who identies
physiotherapists, N=2 (50%) of the old age homes not had various requirements of the old age home residents. Study ndings
physiotherapists. N=4, (100%) of the old age homes not have trained underline the need to provide and support residents in old age homes,
professional social workers. N=3, (75%) of the old age homes had which are not present in many homes. Few limitations of this study are
ambulance facilities, and N=1 (25%) of the old age home did not have the small sample size and purposeful selection of participants, which
ambulance facilities. N=2 (50%) of the old age homes had accessible might have limited the generalisation of the study ndings.
medication facilities, N=2 (50%) of the old age homes did not have
accessible medication facilities. Acknowledgment
We express our gratitude to all the four old age home residents, old age
Table:4 Old age home refreshment facilities home founders, and staff working in those old age homes.
14 INDIAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH
 Volume - 11 | Issue - 05 | May - 2021 | PRINT ISSN No. 2249 - 555X | DOI : 10.36106/ijar
Funding
The author(s) received no nancial support for the research,
authorship, and publication of this article.

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