Community Preferences for Allied Health Services in Residential Aged Care

Exploring health consumer preferences in care is an essential foundational, and ongoing activity, when designing and delivering models of care. We undertook a study to explore: (i) what allied health (AH) services are most important to health consumers and (ii) how health consumers expect to access these services in residential aged care (RAC) to determine consumer priorities in future AH models of care in RAC.

A mixed method study was conducted with aged care residents and community members (friends or family of residents/people who believe they may use RAC services). The study comprised two focus-group activities where participants were asked to (1) rank the AH services most important to them and then (2) categorise how they would prefer to access each AH service. Focus group members used card sort methods (Q-methodology) to aid prioritisation, categorisation and discussion. Card sorting data were analysed using inverted factor analysis and descriptive statistics. Qualitative focus group data were deductively coded using a coding structure created by the research team informed by quantitative results.

Data were collected from 16 participants who formed five focus groups in a community forum. The analysis revealed three factors, that represented shared meaning amongst groups of participants (viewpoints) regarding prioritisation of AH services: 'Prioritising urgent needs', 'Prioritising long-term healthy habits and lifestyle', and 'Prioritising social well-being'. Data from the card sort activity, which related to 'how health consumers expect to access AH services', were also categorised into three categories: 'It is always provided', 'A professional will assess my need' and 'I or my family will ask for this service if I need it'. Participants wanted most AH services to be provided regularly, with some such as 'Exercise and rehabilitation' and 'Meaningful activity' to be provided up to one hour every day.

Consumers value a range of AH services and have an expectation that these will be provided in RAC on a regular basis. To ensure consumers make informed preferences regarding the future of services in RAC, health systems need to trial innovative AH models of care and embed consumer evaluation.