RCF Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the timing of the visits of the study?
- Do we have to have a dementia specific unit to be a part of the study?
- We do not have any residents who have a diagnosis of dementia. We can't be in the study, then?
- How do you plan to measure the quality of life of individuals with cognitive impairment?
- What if we are already involved in other dementia care training?
- What if we discover later that we do not have the time we thought we had to be in the study?
- If we are randomised to the non-intervention arm, will we still receive a certificate of education?
- What kind of education is being offered?
- How many researchers will be in the facility at each visit?
- What equipment or materials will the study staff require during their visits?
- What time from the facility will the study staff require during their visits?
- Will we know how we "scored" on the assessments?
1. What is the timing of the visits of the study?
The following times are approximate:
| September - November 2007 | Staff interviews to find out training needs |
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| November 2007 - February 2008 | the study team goes away for a little while to put together the educational package; then... |
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| February - April 2008 | Screening visits |
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| May - July 2008 | Baseline visits |
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| May 2008 - April 2009 | Education visits |
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| July - September 2009 | First follow-up visits |
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| January - March 2010 | Second follow-up visits |
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Your facility would be visited ONCE during each assessment period, and probably no more than twice for the education visits; and once or twice if your facility has agreed to allow staff interviews. Thus we will ask for access to your facility for a total of about 24 months for the trial. For each facility, we will do a screening visit, return after 3 months; and 6 months after the end of the education period, then another 6 months, to look for long term changes.
2. Do we have to have a dementia specific unit to be a part of the study?
Definitely not. We want a "snapshot" of residential care in Perth: dementia-specific units, mainstream units, large facilities, small facilities, and culturally and linguistically diverse facilities.
3. We do not have any residents who have a diagnosis of dementia. We can't be in the study, then?
Yes, you can be in the study! The inclusion criterion is an MMSE score of less than 24. So we will screen all residents you list for us, who consent to being tested, whether they have diagnosed or suspected dementia. In addition, it does not matter what the cause of their dementia is, whether it is Alzheimer's, vascular, or any other form.
4. How do you plan to measure the quality of life of individuals with cognitive impairment?
Quality of life is an inherently subjective concept. While acknowledging the difficulty that cognitive impairment causes with communication and orientation, the study team believes that people living with dementia have intact awareness and insight into their well-being and happiness, and as such, can offer good, reliable data if the researcher makes an effort to understand and contextualise the information being conveyed.
Therefore, we are using self interviews and brief, structured observations of their daily lives to inform the quality of life score. As a secondary measure, we will be asking staff members to fill in brief questionnaires about their own satisfaction and stress levels.
5. What if we are already involved in other dementia care training?
Great! The DIRECT study does not aim to replace any training programs that are already in place, simply to offer additional, targeted material to fill in any gaps. The staff questionnaire will ask about involvement in other dementia care training, whether institutional, offered by a RTO, or self-taught.
6. What if we discover later that we do not have the time we thought we had to be in the study?
The DIRECT study aims to study the real world. We will ask how much of the DIRECT program you have accessed and how frequently, and we will analyse the quality of life data accordingly. While we hope that our material is engaging and informative, if you have to withdraw due to other commitments, you are free to do so.
7. If we are randomised to the non-intervention arm, will we still receive a certificate of education?
All participants, regardless of randomisation, will be given a certificate of participation in research. In addition, at the conclusion of the study, we plan to make the educational program available to all Australian RCFs in a web-based format.
8. What kind of education is being offered?
The beauty of this study is that we will not design it until you have told us what you want in it! The staff interviews (and surveys that you were sent) will shape the educational materials, both the topics covered as well as how it is delivered. Some topic possibilities include: working with behaviours of concern; communication techniques; pain management; effective interaction with GPs. Some delivery possibilities include: on-site, 1-hour workshops; posters for hallways and staff breakrooms; CD-ROMs; interactive web material. Finally, remember that we will offer a wide variety of topics and deliveries as a "toolbox" so that you can tailor the program to your facility's needs.
9. How many researchers will be in the facility at each visit?
There will be one assessor visiting you for whatever number of days is required to visit all the enrolled residents. The same assessor will visit you each time. For the education, while the form of it is not finalised, there would probably be one education officer (different from the assessor) visiting the facility for a couple hours at a time.
10. What equipment or materials will the study staff require during their visits?
None! The study team member will be bringing a laptop, backup battery, and all assessment or educational materials for their visits. There is a possibility we will ask for access to medical records, but this has not been finalised.
11. What time from the facility will the study staff require during their visits?
The DIRECT team understands that time is a major factor for many facilities in today's economy. The assessments are done by study staff; the educational sessions will be on-site and short, if they become part of the education; and study staff will become familiar with the layout/schedule of your facility to minimise inquiries. In addition, we will visit around both residents' and staff members' schedules.
12. Will we know how we "scored" on the assessments?
At your request, yes, of course. We will happily provide deidentified data on where your facility stands in terms of resident quality of life.
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