Date of Award
1-1-2007
Document Type
Thesis - ECU Access Only
Publisher
Edith Cowan University
Degree Name
Master of Nursing
School
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Postgraduate Medicine
Faculty
Faculty of Computing, Health and Science
Abstract
This thesis presents the results of a study that explores the experience of care assistants who care for residents in the final stages of life in residential aged care facilities in metropolitan Perth. Care assistants, with little formal training and no regulation, play a pivotal role in the direct care of dying residents in these facilities. Yet little was known about the palliative care role and the impact that caring for residents in the final stage of life has on this health care group. The literature relating to end of life care in residential aged care facilities revealed limited research in this area. In particular, there is a lack of studies that relate specifically to the care assistants' role and their experiences of end of life care. Research to date has focused on the context of palliative care in residential aged care facilities, the workplace environment, how to provide a dignified death, relationships and the central role of the care assistant. This study used a qualitative narrative inquiry research design.
Recommended Citation
Walker, H. M. (2007). The experience of care assistants who care for residents in the final stage of life in residential aged care facilities. Edith Cowan University. Retrieved from https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/278