Logo: to the web site of Uppsala University

Aims To evaluate validity and reliability of three questionnaires measuring 'work satisfaction', 'patient care' and 'staff health' for staff in elderly care and to study the relationship between staff members' satisfaction with work and perceived stress.

Background Increased workload, difficulties in recruiting and retaining nurses are reported in elderly care. Valid and reliable instruments measuring staffs' perceptions of work are needed.

Methods A convenience sample of 299 staff answered the questionnaires.

Results Factor analysis of 'work satisfaction' gave eight factors, 'patient care' four factors and 'staff health' two factors, explaining 52.2%, 56.4% and 56.8% of the variance. Internal consistency was mostly satisfactory. Multiple regression analysis revealed a model that explained 41% of the variance in perceived stress symptoms.

Conclusions There was support for the instruments' validity and reliability. Older age, higher scores/satisfaction with workload, cooperation, expectations and demands, personal development and lower scores on internal motivation contributed to less stress.

We measured staff members' satisfaction with their work before and after increased information technology (IT) support in dementia care. Comparisons were also performed of perceived life satisfaction and sense of coherence; Data were collected before, and 6 and 12 months after implementation of the first part of an IT support project. Instruments used were the Satisfaction with Work Questionnaires, the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (LSQ) and the Sense of Coherence (SOC) scale. The study was performed in a residential home for persons with dementia. The participants were 33 staff members. The IT technology included general and individualized passage alarms, sensor-activated night-time illumination, fall detectors and Internet communication. Results showed that staff members' job satisfaction and perceived quality of care improved in comparison with the control group. Personal development, workload, expectations and demands, internal motivation and documentation, as well as the total scores for 'psychosocial aspects of job satisfaction' and 'quality of care aspects', increased in the experimental group. There were significant interaction effects for the factors family relation, close friend relation (LSQ), the total SOC scale and the meaningfulness subscale. The study showed that IT support in dementia care increased staff members' satisfaction with their work in several ways.

We studied relatives' opinions of IT support at a residential home for persons with dementia. We also investigated the relatives' perceptions of irritations and life satisfaction before and after increased IT support. This was accomplished using an experimental group (n = 14) and a control group (n = 8) of subjects in dementia care. The design was quasi-experimental with baseline assessments and three follow-ups. Data were collected using two questionnaires measuring opinions of the IT support: irritations in care (the Nursing Home Hassles Scale) and life satisfaction (the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire). Results showed that relatives' opinions of IT support were generally positive. In the experimental group, relatives' perceptions of practical/logistical irritations decreased between baseline and 12-month follow-up. In the control group, there was an increase in the total Nursing Home Hassles score between baseline and three-month follow-up. This difference did not persist at seven- and 12-month follow-ups. No significant differences were found for life satisfaction. We conclude that relatives had positive opinions of IT support, and their perceptions of practical/logistical irritations decreased after implementation of the IT support package.