[Focus on semi-residential care - Development of science-based impulses for the design of day care for the elderly].

BACKGROUND

Despite its important role in the elderly care system, day care in Germany has so far rather little attention paid to it. Keeping their patients' health and self-reliance and facilitating relief and support for family caregivers are central tasks of day care, regulated by law. Nevertheless, there is not only a lack of findings about the working methods and effects of day care, but also of orientation in terms of how to configure high-quality care on a structural, process-related and conceptual level. The aim of the TpQ project ("Weiterentwicklung und Qualitätsverbesserung von Tagespflege in Nordrhein-Westfalen", "further development of and quality improvement in day care facilities in Northrhine-Westphalia") was to close this gap and to offer the institutions a catalogue of impulses that contains current national and international research findings as well as the perspectives of every stakeholder associated with day care.

METHOD

In an explorative sequential mixed-method design, we conducted a search for and a synthesis of the literature in the form of a scoping review, qualitative interviews with guests, relatives, non-users, employees and managers of day care, association representatives, nursing scientists and business consultants, a quantitative paper-based survey among guests, relatives, employees and managers of day care and an expert conference for result validation. The sample received study information either directly by mail or through the staff of the recruited adult day care facilities. The survey-area is the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The analysis of the qualitative data was conducted according to the qualitative content analysis and was used for the development of the quantitative surveys. The quantitative data analysis was descriptive. Based on the comparison with literature analysis and qualitative findings, the impulses for the design of day care were finally formulated and validated during an expert workshop.

RESULTS

From the literature (N=49) and the interviews (N=85), different expectations and wishes with regard to day care were generated. These included staff and structural requirements as well as concrete ideas of the conceptual orientation of day care. The quantitative survey (N=392) showed considerable agreement with the content-related and organizational requirements of the qualitative survey and allowed us to identify the relevant quality aspects from the point of view of guests, relatives and staff of day care facilities. In summary, 15 dimensions for the design of day care (conception/basic principles, quality management, nursing care, transport/driving service, opening hours, equipment, networking, staff, introduction of new guests, activity offers, health promotion and prevention, promotion of social participation, support of relatives, public work, counseling) were defined as relevant quality areas and explained with 81 impulses.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Addressing the perspective of users, family caregivers and other persons involved in adult day care reveals complex requirements and opportunities for the design of adult day care. In contrast to existing quality inspection guidelines, the impulses can be used to independently assess adult day care with the goal of contributing to the further development and sharpening of the profile of adult day care.