Training Community Homecare Workers to Deliver Falls Prevention Programmes: A Mixed Methods Evaluation

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Title: Training Community Homecare Workers to Deliver Falls Prevention Programmes: A Mixed Methods Evaluation
Language: English
Authors: Jacqueline Francis-Coad (ORCID 0000-0002-9892-103X), Jo-Aine Hang (ORCID 0000-0002-7621-8263), Vanessa Jessup, Leon Flicker, Christopher Etherton-Beer, Elissa Burton, Bernie Wong, Sharmila Vaz, Dan Xu, Anne-Marie Hill (ORCID 0000-0003-1411-6752)
Source: Health Education Journal. 2025 84(8):964-977.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Health Promotion, Prevention, Safety, Older Adults, Caregiver Role, Family Environment, Home Health Aides, Allied Health Personnel, Foreign Countries, Training, Workshops, Program Effectiveness
Geographic Terms: Australia
DOI: 10.1177/00178969251371518
ISSN: 0017-8969
1748-8176
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 [less than or equal to] 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.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1490840
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Training Community Homecare Workers to Deliver Falls Prevention Programmes: A Mixed Methods Evaluation
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jacqueline+Francis-Coad%22">Jacqueline Francis-Coad</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9892-103X">0000-0002-9892-103X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jo-Aine+Hang%22">Jo-Aine Hang</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7621-8263">0000-0002-7621-8263</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Vanessa+Jessup%22">Vanessa Jessup</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Leon+Flicker%22">Leon Flicker</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Christopher+Etherton-Beer%22">Christopher Etherton-Beer</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elissa+Burton%22">Elissa Burton</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bernie+Wong%22">Bernie Wong</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sharmila+Vaz%22">Sharmila Vaz</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dan+Xu%22">Dan Xu</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Anne-Marie+Hill%22">Anne-Marie Hill</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1411-6752">0000-0003-1411-6752</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Health+Education+Journal%22"><i>Health Education Journal</i></searchLink>. 2025 84(8):964-977.
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Data: 14
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+Promotion%22">Health Promotion</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prevention%22">Prevention</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Safety%22">Safety</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Older+Adults%22">Older Adults</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Caregiver+Role%22">Caregiver Role</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Family+Environment%22">Family Environment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Home+Health+Aides%22">Home Health Aides</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Allied+Health+Personnel%22">Allied Health Personnel</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Training%22">Training</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Workshops%22">Workshops</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Effectiveness%22">Program Effectiveness</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Australia%22">Australia</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1177/00178969251371518
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  Data: 0017-8969<br />1748-8176
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: 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 [less than or equal to] 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.
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        Value: 10.1177/00178969251371518
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      – SubjectFull: Prevention
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      – SubjectFull: Safety
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      – TitleFull: Training Community Homecare Workers to Deliver Falls Prevention Programmes: A Mixed Methods Evaluation
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