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Is excessive paperwork in care homes undermining care for older people?
- Authors:
- WARMINGTON Joy, AFRIDI Asif, FOREMAN William
- Publisher:
- Joseph Rowntree Foundation
- Publication year:
- 2014
- Pagination:
- 48
- Place of publication:
- York
Does paperwork intended to improve the quality of care in older people’s care homes make them better places to live, or does it reduce the amount of time devoted to caring? Researchers at brap, an equalities and human rights charity, examined the practical impact of paperwork in care homes, and they make suggestions for its improvement. The project collated and reviewed examples of paperwork used in care homes for older people. It also explored recommendations for a more ‘streamlined’ system of paperwork that meets regulatory requirements, but also provides greater scope for care homes to focus on improving relationships between care staff and residents. Based on a desk-based review of paperwork, the report looks at: what paperwork is for and who decides this; how paperwork is used in care homes; whether paperwork contributes to what residents value; and the implications of all of this for the quality of care residents receive. The research finds that instead of adding to care value, paperwork can lead to “subtractions” which take away from effective care), most notably the qualities of leadership, value of care, vocation, co-operation, and professional autonomy. The report includes recommendations for improving the organisation, application and impact of paperwork to help achieve better-quality care. The research was conducted in two care homes in Birmingham and one in York. As well as examining the current use of paperwork, focus groups and interviews were conducted with residents, relatives, volunteers, frontline staff, managers, commissioners, providers and regulators. (Edited publisher abstract)
Is excessive paperwork in care homes undermining care for older people?: summary
- Authors:
- WARMINGTON Joy, FOREMAN William, AFRIDI Asif
- Publisher:
- Joseph Rowntree Foundation
- Publication year:
- 2014
- Pagination:
- 4
- Place of publication:
- York
Does paperwork intended to improve the quality of care in older people’s care homes make them better places to live, or does it reduce the amount of time devoted to caring? The research described in this summary examines the practical impact of paperwork in care homes and makes suggestions for its improvement. Two key beliefs were central to the research methodology. First, that the purpose of paperwork should be driven from the perspective of those it is intended to benefit - the residents. Second, that care should be provided in a way that is ‘human’, focusing on the creation and maintenance of meaningful relationships between care staff and residents. The research concludes that that the balance between prevention of poor care and promotion of good care is out of kilter. Care homes spend an inordinate amount of time attempting to cover themselves against potential blame or litigation for poor care. Paperwork has become an industry in its own right, fuelled by fear and insecurity. Instead of being an addition to care quality, paperwork can lead to ‘subtractions’ – that is, taking away from the delivery or management of care. Five of the most significant subtractions are these qualities: leadership, value of care, vocation, co-operation, and professional autonomy. Among steps that could be taken to improve regulatory paper work are: and adopting a single incident reporting form; sharing and of information across inspectors of care. In the longer term, providers and residents should play a greater role in defining the criteria for high-quality care. The research was conducted in two care homes in Birmingham and one in York. As well as examining the current use of paperwork, focus groups and interviews were conducted with residents, relatives, volunteers, frontline staff, managers, commissioners, providers and regulators. (Edited publisher abstract)