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Professional voices on risk and accidents in home care – a Swedish survey study

Jörgen Lundälv (Department of Social Work, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden)
Inga Malmqvist (Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden)
Charlotta Thodelius (Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden)

Facilities

ISSN: 0263-2772

Article publication date: 19 September 2019

Issue publication date: 5 February 2020

182

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to find out what knowledge and experience of occupational therapists, personal assistants and public health nurses/nurses in Sweden can contribute concerning the vulnerability of residents to injury in different residential care-settings.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on an online survey. A total of 832 individuals responded to the survey. The data were analyzed from a mixed-method approach, using descriptive statistics, correlations and textual-analysis.

Findings

More than one in four representatives of these professions had witnessed accidents. The results show that bedrooms and bathrooms are the rooms in which accidents are most likely to occur in homes.

Research limitations/implications

One limitation of the study is that the impact of educational initiatives on the different professions was not investigated, so it is not possible to ascertain what effect this may have had on risk identification and accident prevention measures in residential care-settings.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no prior study of these issues has been conducted. This study is deemed to have significant social benefit because of the steadily increasing need for care in residential settings. No other study has addressed the importance of the physical environment in this context. Collaborations involving researchers from various disciplines, professional organizations and public and private sector employers involved in personal assistance have contributed specific knowledge.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all of the study participants who contributed their knowledge and experience and also express our gratitude to the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, which funded the study. The authors would like to extend a thank you to Ulrika Larsson, at the Swedish Association of Occupational Therapists, the Swedish Association of Public Health Nurses and municipalities and private assistance companies for help with publication and dissemination of the online survey.

Citation

Lundälv, J., Malmqvist, I. and Thodelius, C. (2020), "Professional voices on risk and accidents in home care – a Swedish survey study", Facilities, Vol. 38 No. 3/4, pp. 218-234. https://doi.org/10.1108/F-03-2019-0030

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited

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