Staff Attitude Changes After Environmental Changes On a Ward for Psychogeriatric Patients

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Abstract
On a ward for chronic elderly patients, mostly senile demented patients, several environmental changes were performed to improve the patients' behaviors. Before and after these changes, the staff (N = 12) were asked about their attitudes in relation to different issues, according to a semantic differential scheme. The semantic differential scheme consisted (apart from six distractor pairs) of the following semantic pairs: (a) negative-positive, (b) valueless-valuable, (c) bad-good, (d) onesided-manysided, (e) unimportant-important, and (f) stupid-smart. The object sentences tested with this semantic differential scheme were (1) cleaning the ward, (2) the patients' meals, (3) dressing the patients, and (4) social interaction with patients. The results showed significant positive changes in staff attitudes towards the patients in the three last object sentences. These also corresponded to the interventions made in the environmental program, whereas "cleaning the ward" was not really changed during the program. It is concluded that improvements in patient behaviors on the ward has important positive effects also on the staff attitudes.