Predictors of Performing Function Focused Care

Sedentary behaviour is highly prevalent among residents, with 84% classified as sedentary. Function Focused Care (FFC) encourages resident participation in activities to reduce inactivity. This study examined factors influencing independent living, assisted living, nursing home and memory care staff's engagement in FFC, hypothesising that staff with lower sedentary behaviours, higher physical activity and FFC knowledge, higher self-efficacy and outcome expectations for FFC, and higher decision authority would increase FFC engagement.

This study examined factors influencing independent living, assisted living, nursing home and memory care staff's engagement in FFC, hypothesising that staff with lower sedentary behaviours, higher physical activity and FFC knowledge, higher self-efficacy and outcome expectations for FFC, and higher decision authority would increase FFC engagement.

Baseline data (n = 139) from a randomised controlled trial were analysed in this cross-sectional study. Staff from six facilities provided accelerometer-measured sedentary behaviour data, as well as completed FFC behaviour observations and surveys on self-efficacy, knowledge, decision authority and demographics.

The sample was predominantly female (88.2%) and African American (67.9%). Staff exhibited an average sedentary time of 11.60 h/day (SD = 2.76). Generalised linear mixed models identified that sedentary behaviour (IRR = 1.25, p < 0.001) was significantly associated with less FFC behaviours. Also, working as a direct care worker (IRR = 0.22, p = 0.002) and older age (IRR = 0.96, p = 0.033) were significantly associated with more FFC behaviours.

Staff engaged in high levels of sedentary activity. Our data suggest that the risk of not performing FFC with residents increased as workers' sedentary behaviours increased.

The findings from this study suggest that providing programs and encouraging staff to increase time spent in physical activity may translate to staff helping to provide residents with FFC and thereby increasing the time spent in physical activity. If these findings are reproducible, they could be used when developing staff and resident wellness programs.