A study on workload of care-givers to change diaper in nursing home in relation to the physical status of diaper users

在这项研究中，我们试图获得数据，以估计提供尿布的各个方面的工作量，通过调查尿布的使用程度，尿布使用者的身体和精神状况，以及尿布护理提供在96个养老院。我们还进行了一项实验，试图通过改变护理人员的数量（一个或两个人）来减轻护理人员为个人提供尿布护理的工作量。调查结果发现，尿布使用率占我们研究的整个老年居民人口的62.3%。他们的身体和精神状态通过普通测试进行测量。调查结果显示，约80%的居民存在一定程度的身心问题，身心问题严重者中使用纸尿裤者增多。约75%的纸尿裤使用者同时存在生理和心理问题。使用两名护理人员更换尿布的家庭占36%，其余家庭使用一名护理人员。对于改变护理人员的数量，即一个或两个，以提供尿布护理的假设个别老人有严重的身体残疾的实验，整个处理时间，每个护理人员的主观工作量和连续尿布护理的疲劳程度进行了测量。结果，由两名护理员为一名人士更换尿片的处理时间减少至由一名护理员处理的36%，而个别护理员的工作量亦减少至50%。连续五次换尿布后的疲劳程度表明，两名护理人员的疲劳增加率仅为一名护理人员的三分之一。整体而言，由两名护老者替个别长者更换尿片似乎较为有利。

In this study, we tried to obtain data to estimate the workload for various aspects of providing diapers by surveying the extent of diaper usage, the physical and mental conditions of diaper users, and the diaper care provisions at 96 nursing homes. We also conducted an experiment in an attempt to lessen a workload of care-giver to provide diaper care of individuals by altering the number of care-givers, one or two persons. As a result of the survey, it was found that the rate of diaper users was 62.3% of the entire elderly resident populations we studied. Their physical and mental states were measured by common tests. The results showed that some 80% of the residents have a certain degree of physical or mental problem and diaper users increased among those with severe physical or mental conditions. About 75% of diaper users possessed both physical and mental problem. The homes using two care-givers for changing diaper was 36% while the rest used one care giver. For the experiment in altering the number of care givers, namely one or two, to provide diaper care for assumed individual elderly with severe physical disability, the whole processing time, subjective workload of each care-giver and a degree of fatigue in consecutive diaper care were measured. As a result, processing time for changing diaper in one individual by two care-givers decreased to 36% of that by one care-giver and the workload of individual care-givers also decreased to 50%. For degree of fatigue after five consecutive changing diaper showed that the increasing rate of fatigue was as small as one third in case of two care-giver compared with one care-giver. Overall, it seemed advantageous to use two care-givers for changing diaper of individual elderly.