( 03 ) 5248 8369 www . uniquecare . com . au agedcareinsite . com . au 19
practical living to use the tool ). The tools were developed initially for a variety of reasons , such as examining environments where dementia care is delivered , assisting with designs of new buildings , auditing the physical environment and assessing buildings .
These 10 tools had varying strengths and limitations and were ranked according to how many of the minor refurbishment domains were addressed , as this was the specific area we were studying . Five tools addressed all seven domains through to one tool which only addressed two domains .
Of the five tools , two were not subjected to further review due to limited scoring information and criteria , and similarity ( but with less detail ) to an existing tool .
Three tools from the original 10 were identified as requiring further review , and one of the tool authors proposed a newer and alternative tool for consideration .
You said you found four tools to be suitable for further review . What can you tell us about them ? DesignSmart is a comprehensive Australian tool with over 600 questions and specific scoring criteria which is then linked to an action plan . This tool is purchased for a single facility use only , so if you wish to audit more facilities , you will need to purchase additional copies of DesignSmart . There do not appear to have been any published studies using this tool .
The Residential Aged Care Services Built Environment Audit Tool is a Victorian government initiative with 193 items listing specifications for improvements which are matched against appropriate standards and resources .
The tool kit is readily available and includes supporting photographs . We were able to source one study using this tool which had some reliability and quality aspects considered .
The Sheffield Care Environment Assessment Matrix ( SCEAM ) was developed in the UK and has 318 questions . Uniquely , this tool captures information on how the building is being used as well as how it was designed .
The tool kit and accompanying information is also readily available . This tool was developed for research purposes and has not yet been fully validated .
One of the authors suggested we also examine EVOLVE ( Evaluation of Older People ’ s Living Environments ) as this tool assesses how well the building contributes to the physical support and wellbeing of older people , which may then help establish the minor refurbishment priorities .
A common limitation was the predominant absence of any reliability or validity studies .
The study team felt it was essential for an assessment tool to produce consistent and stable results ( reliability ) and to measure well what it says it measures ( validity ).
Thus we suggest that these tools undergo further reliability and validity testing before we put forward any recommendations for use in establishing refurbishment priorities . This will be the next phase of our study . ■
UNIQUE
Care ®
Manufacturer of quality care products
Designers and manufacturers of a wide range of electric beds and accessories for the aged care industry
SafeCare ® Columnless Bed SWL 250kg
Slimline strong light weight construction with no bulky end columns to facilitate full view of patient and room environment . Comes with removable head and foot boards . Designed and manufactured in Australia with high quality ‘ Dewert ’ electronics .
Ward Bed SWL 250kg
Unique Care Ward Bed combines advanced safety features with the highest quality components , Dewert electronics and Australian workmanship .
Acute Bed SWL 250kg
The Sinatra Acute Bed is packed with state of the art safety features designed to meet today ’ s stringent safety requirements for Australian hospitals .
Unique Steel Design Pty . Ltd ., 9-11 Point Henry Road , Moolap , Vic 3221 .
( 03 ) 5248 8369 www . uniquecare . com . au agedcareinsite . com . au 19