Staff factors associated with perception of behaviour as 'challenging' in residential and nursing homes

Three hundred and twenty-six staff, working in 14 residential and nursing homes across England, were asked to rate their 'ease of management' on 14 vignettes of challenging resident behaviour. Multiple regression was used to examine the correlates of staff appraisal of their management of challenging behaviour, using over 30 staff variables. These included demographics, experience, stress, burnout, job satisfaction, knowledge of dementia and management practices in the home. Only staff anxiety, supervisor support and the potential to relate to residents as individuals predicted 'perceived management difficulty'. In any given home, there was great variation in staff perception, and overall, qualified staff appear to have greater difficulty in managing challenging behaviour, as compared with care assistants. The clinical significance of these results for psychogeriatric interventions that focus on advising care staff on the management of resident behaviour is discussed.