Factors that contribute to stress in care staff in residential homes for the elderly

The present study assessed symptoms of stress and stressful events, as well as job satisfaction and attitudes towards the elderly and the home, in care staff in three Local Authority Social Services residential (Part III) homes for the elderly in Leicester. These homes have been reported as caring for a highly dependent group of residents (Neville et al., 1995). From the pattern of the care staff’s responses on both the Stressful Events Questionnaire and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, it was indicated that organizational factors are identified as being as stressful as aspects of caring for the residents and managing their behaviour. Staff in these homes indicated favourable attitudes towards the elderly and towards caring for confused residents in the home. It is suggested that with increasingly high levels of dementia (82%) and dependency in the resident group, the homes’ structure in terms of staff group, training and support has not sufficiently responded to the increasing demands on the staff, which may significantly contribute to the reported high levels of stress and low job satisfaction.