Diabetes care in residential homes: staff training makes a difference

Aim To deliver an educational programme to care home staff in one residential home and assess its impact on staff knowledge and practice. Methods One home within Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale, East Lancashire, was randomly selected for education programme delivery and evaluation. An initial assessment questionnaire was used to develop the two, 2-h education sessions. Evaluation involved repeating the knowledge questionnaire 1 week and 12 months after the programme. A semi-structured interview with the officer in charge further investigated staff knowledge and care practice. Results There were 22 staff in the selected home; 12 participated in the programme. Pre- to post-course knowledge gain was significant (P<0.001) and knowledge retention at 12 months was 92%: The officer in charge also reported at interview that quality of care had improved. Conclusions Staff education increases knowledge and is associated with improved quality of care up to a year after the intervention.