Differences in caregiver daily impression by sex, education and career length

We previously proposed the concept of caregiver daily impression (CDI) as a practical tool for emergency triage. We herein assessed how CDI varies by sex, education and career length by determining CDI scores as quantitative outcome measures.

We carried out a cross-sectional study using a self-reported questionnaire among caregivers in 20 long-term care facilities in Hyogo, Japan. A total of 10 CDI variables measured participants' previous experience of emergency transfers using a scale from 0-10. The resulting total was defined as the CDI score. We hypothetically considered that higher scores indicated greater caregiver focus. The CDI scores were compared by sex, education and career length using analysis of covariance.

A total of 601 personal caregivers were evaluated (mean age 36.7 years; 36% men). The mean career length was 6.9 years, with the following groupings: 1-4 years (38%), 5-9 years (37%) and >10 years (24%). After adjustment for sex and education, the CDI scores for the variable, "poor eye contact," significantly differed between caregivers with ≥10 and <5 years of experience (scores of 5.0 ± 3.1 and 4.0 ± 2.7, respectively). The CDI scores for variables related to eyes tended to increase with experience, whereas other CDI scores decreased. Male caregivers focused on residents' eyes significantly more than did female caregivers.

We found that the CDI variable, "poor eye contact," is influenced by career length. Caregivers with more experience attach more importance to their impression of residents' eyes than do those with less experience. Sex-related differences in CDI might also exist. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 17: 410-415.