Relationship between work environment on a special care unit to well -being of patients with dementia of Alzheimer's type

Scope and method of study. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of the work environment on a special care unit to the level of well-being of a patient with Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type. Data were collected in four long-term care facilities with special care units. The total sample of employees was twenty six and the total number of patients was sixty-five.;Findings and conclusions. All four special care work environments were found to be stressful but were not statistically different. Long-term care administrators should evaluate the work environment on special care units. The assessment tool for environment used in this study is recommended for use in this setting. The results of this study also suggest that salary and benefits should be examined to improve recruitment and retention of staff. The most significant finding was that many Alzheimer's patients were found to have excess disability (p < 0.001). Additionally, staff should be educated to assess function in this population frequently and develop a plan of care aimed at maintaining function for as long as possible. Reisberg's functional assessment tool is recommended for this purpose. The research findings are impacted by a small sample size. Future studies with a larger sample is recommended.