Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T10:58:07.676Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The knowledge and skills assessment (KASA) tool in the Australian Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Service: development and initial testing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 January 2016

Urska Arnautovska ,
Sofia Robleda ,
Jeanette Jackson  and
Nancy A. Pachana
Urska Arnautovska
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
Sofia Robleda
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia Dementia Behaviour Management and Advisory Service, Alzheimer's Australia, Wolloongabba 4012, Australia
Jeanette Jackson
Affiliation:
Dementia Behaviour Management and Advisory Service, Alzheimer's Australia, Wolloongabba 4012, Australia
Nancy A. Pachana*
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Professor Nancy A. Pachana, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia. Phone: +61 7 3365 6832; Fax: +61 7 3365 4466. Email: npachana@psy.uq.edu.au.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background:

As the global population ages, it is important that the professional care workforce is well prepared to support the needs of people with dementia. In Australia, the Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Service (DBMAS) supports people with dementia and their carers through an interdisciplinary team approach. To provide DBMAS Behaviour Consultants with a tool to guide them in their professional development, this project aimed to develop a self-assessment tool to enable self-reflection on clinical competencies required for working in the service and identification of areas where further development would be required.

Methods:

A multi-stage process was applied in the development of the tool, including review of the relevant literature and focus groups with DBMAS Behaviour Consultants and Team Leaders. The tool encompasses both skills and knowledge in working with people with dementia and caregivers. A pilot study including 14 DBMAS consultants was conducted to assess the utility of the measure and ensure variability of ratings across knowledge and skill areas relative to time working in DBMAS.

Results:

The Knowledge and Skills Assessment (KASA) was developed and is now used in DBMAS service both with novice Behaviour Consultants and more experienced staff, and is also being used as an on-line version, accompanied with case vignettes.

Conclusions:

The KASA provides a valuable self-assessment tool for professional care staff working in dementia care, but would nevertheless still warrant further testing of its psychometric characteristics.

Keywords

geriatricspsychologydementia careknowledge and skillsassessmentprofessional practiceand development
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 28 , Issue 5 , May 2016 , pp. 833 - 844
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bandura, A. (2001). Social cognitive theory: an agentic perspective. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 1–26.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blake Stevenson (2014). Evaluating the Impact of the Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Nurse Consultants/Specialists & Dementia Champions in Bringing About Improvements to Dementia Care in Acute General Hospitals. Retrieved on September 15, 2015, from http://www.alzscot.org/news_and_community/news/3080.Google Scholar
Brodaty, H. et al. (2001). Psychosis, depression and behavioural disturbances in Sydney nursing home residents: prevalence and predictors. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 16, 504–512.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cerejeira, J., Lagarto, L. and Mukaetova-Ladinska, E. (2012). Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. Frontiers in Neurology, 3, 73. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2012.00073.Google Scholar
Cohen, C. I., McKenzie, S. E., Rahmani, M., Singh, J. and Prospere, E. (2012). Historical changes in the severity of dementia and accompanying neuropsychiatric symptoms in persons presenting for evaluation in a multiracial urban dementia center. Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders, 26, 352–357.Google Scholar
DBMAS (2014). Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Services. Retrieved June 24, 2014, from http://dbmas.org.au/What_we_do/Our_aims.aspx.Google Scholar
Department of Health (2006). Best Practice Competencies and Capabilities for Pre-registration Mental Health Nurses in England. London: Department of Health.Google Scholar
Department of Health (2013). Dementia. Retrieved 24 June 2014, from http://www.health.gov.au/dementia.Google Scholar
Edvardsson, D., Fetherstonhaugh, D. and Nay, R. (2011). The tool for understanding residents’ needs as individual persons (TURNIP): construction and initial testing. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 20, 2890–2896.Google Scholar
Edvardsson, D. and Innes, A. (2010). Measuring person-centered care: a critical comparative review of published tools. The Gerontologist, 50, 834–846.Google Scholar
Forsetlund, L. et al. (2009). Continuing education meetings and workshops: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2, CD003030.Google Scholar
International Psychogeriatric Association (2012). The Complete Guides to Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) United States.Google Scholar
Karel, M. J., Emery, E. E. and Molinari, V. (2010). Development of a tool to evaluate geropsychology knowledge and skill competencies. International Psychogeriatrics, 22, 886–896.Google Scholar
King, D. et al. (2012). The Aged Care Workforce, 2012. Canberra: Department of Health and Ageing.Google Scholar
Knight, B., Karel, M. J., Hinrichsen, G. A., Qualls, S. H. and Duffy, M. (2009). Pikes peak model for training in professional geropsychology. American Psychologist, 64, 205–214.Google Scholar
Kolb, D. A., Boyatzis, R. E. and Mainemelis, C. (2001). Experiential learning theory: previous research and new directions. Perspectives on Thinking, Learning, and Cognitive Styles, 1, 227–247.Google Scholar
Michigan Dementia Coalition (2006). Knowledge and Skills Needed for Dementia Care. A Guide for Direct Care Workers. Okemos: Michigan Public Health Institute.Google Scholar
Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport (2009). Guideline for Integrated Dementia Care [excerpt]. An Aid for the Development of Integrated Dementia Care. Netherlands. Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport, Zorgverzekeraars Nederland, Alzheimer Nederland, ActiZ.Google Scholar
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods. USA: SAGE Publications, Inc.Google Scholar
Skills for Care and Skills for Health (2011). Common Core Principles for Supporting People with Dementia. Leeds: Department of Health.Google Scholar
Tampi, R. R. et al. (2011). Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia: part I–epidemiology, neurobiology, heritability, and evaluation. Clinical Geriatrics, 19, 41–46.Google Scholar
WHO (2012). Dementia: A Public Health Priority. Retrieved from http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2012/9789241564458_eng.pdf.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Arnautovska supplementary material S1

Arnautovska supplementary material

Download Arnautovska supplementary material S1(File)
File 30.9 KB