Encouraging Best Practice in Residential Aged Care Program: Final Evaluation Report

4.3 - Impact on families

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Across the EBPRAC program involvement of residents’ families was variable. Table 14 summarises the involvement of families in the EBPRAC projects and the impact on families.

Table 14 Summary of family involvement and impact on families

Project title	Process of family involvement	Impact on families
NARI pain	Minimal involvement with families.	Not evaluated.
UN nutrition	Minimal involvement with families.	Not evaluated.
NARI falls	Information provided to families. Project staff attended family meetings.	Not evaluated.
SA dental	Information provided to families.	Not evaluated.
DATIS meds	Provision of brochures to families and attendance at family meetings.	Not evaluated.
QUT wounds	Regular meetings with families.	Increased awareness by families of wound management and prevention.
PW inf control	Minimal involvement with families.	Not evaluated.
MGPN pall care	Increased discussions with families on advance care planning.	Families expressed satisfaction with the care.
NEVDGP pall care	Increased provision of written materials to families about palliative care. Increased discussion with families about end-of-life care.	Not evaluated.
UQ pall care	Families involved in case conferences 94% of the time. Families more informed and more involved in end-of-life care.	Over 90% of family members felt their views/wishes were respected during case conferences.
UTS behav	Improved involvement of families in decision making about the family member’s care. Staff perceived by families to be forthcoming and helpful.	Family members felt more encouraged to visit their relatives and that their visits had been more pleasant. Family members who had formerly felt uncomfortable were able to now visit.
HC behav	Families difficult to engage. Involvement of families lower than expected.	Feedback from small number of families that families had very high expectations that were not met.
MU behav	More opportunities for families to meaningfully participate in resident’s day (as perceived by family members). Families involved in providing more information about resident’s personal history.	73% of family members identified resident family member as more content. Family involvement better meets the expectations of families.

Some projects had no contact with families and some projects limited family involvement to keeping families informed via newsletters, posters displayed in facilities and meetings. Those families who did attend meetings were reported to have found the experience useful.

There tended to be more involvement of families in the palliative care and behaviour management projects. The use of end-of-life care pathways and case conferences act as a catalyst for family involvement. Most notably, one of the projects (UQ pall care) was able to achieve attendance of family members at 94% of palliative care case conferences. Behaviour management is enhanced by family involvement, particularly to gain a better understanding of residents and their needs.

Seven of the projects did not aim to evaluate the impact of the project on families. Those projects that did seek the views of families tended to focus on family perceptions of how the project may have impacted on residents, rather than the family members themselves.
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