Perception of Nurses on the Establishment, and their Willingness to Work in Assisted Living Facilities in Ghana

Abstract

Aim: This study explored the perception of Ghanaian nurses on the establishment and their willingness to work in assisted living facilities. Methods The study used a mixed-methods approach in which qualitative data was collected first before the quantitative data. Data was collected through Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) and questionnaires from 248 respondents with age ranging from 20 to 58 years from October 2016 to January 2017 with 8 missing from the quantitative data. Four pertinent questions were asked in both set of data. Sampling was convenient and purposive from 4 different health facilities in the metropolis. Data from the FGDs were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Quantitative data was entered in SPSS version 23 and cleaned. Both sets of data were coded and analyzed. Results The nurses appreciated the increase in the number of the aged in their communities; they think community members prepare towards their ageing by using their children as security, and the idea of assisted living was enthusiastically supported by 66% of the population, but with the proviso that it would need to be ran by a private entrepreneur, then they would be willing to work in such a facility. Discussion: The nurses also think that families are now becoming more nuclear; that is why caring for the aged has become a problem, thus creating a need for assisted living facilities.