Maintenance and rehabilitation of independence in old age: an intervention program for staff

Research has attested to the prevalence of a "dependency-support" and "independence-ignore" script characterizing the interactions between staff and elderly residents in long-term care institutions. To examine whether the scripts could be modified, a staff training program (focusing on communication skills, knowledge about aging, and basic behavior principles) was implemented in 3 different institutions. Observational data on staff-resident interactions in the context of self-care were collected pre- and postintervention. Findings revealed significant changes for the experimental group. Specifically, a decrease in dependence-supportive behavior of staff and an increase in their independence-supportive behavior, an increase in independent behavior of residents, and an increase in independence-related interaction patterns were demonstrated.