Training community homecare workers to deliver falls prevention programmes: A mixed methods evaluation

Abstract

Objective: To design and evaluate an education and training programme for community homecare workers to deliver falls prevention programmes to older homecare clients. Design: Mixed methods design. Setting: Community homecare organisation. Method: A series of role-based training workshops using a Train the Trainer model were designed using a blended learning approach and conducted with allied health professional, community therapy assistant and support worker staff groups. Training was systematically evaluated using the New World Kirkpatrick model Levels 1 to 3 which measured staff reactions to training, training impact on staff learning, and learning translation into workplace practice. Staff surveys, performance-based assessment in the workplace, email/meeting records and field notes were utilised. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests; qualitative data were subjected to deductive content analysis. Results: Five allied health professionals, 14 therapy assistants and five support workers rated the training workshops as engaging and relevant. Allied health professionals felt confident and motivated to train therapy assistant and support worker groups. Therapy assistants and support workers made significant self-rated falls knowledge gains (p ⩽ 0.01), and more than half achieved competency in performing seven of the nine critical behaviours identified for delivering the 12-week falls prevention programmes in the workplace, such as coaching, correct exercise delivery and educating clients on safety at Week 6. The introduction of workplace support visits was a key driver for facilitating competency and ongoing learning. Areas identified for improvement included consolidating skills to motivate client participation, strengthening the ability to link clients’ programmes to clients’ goals and fostering a more proactive culture of problem-solving and feedback. Conclusion: Evaluation showed education and training for community homecare workers to deliver falls prevention programmes to homecare clients was relevant, acceptable and improved self-rated knowledge. Learning was translated to the workplace and skills for improvement were identified for future training workshops.