Users with PID continue to suffer stigma, discrimination and neglect due to the complex nature of their needs. In order to improve quality of life and quality patient care the study makes the following recommendations:
5.3.1 Recommendations for the care and rehabilitation centre administrators
The following recommendations for the administrators of centre looking after persons with PID.
• The centre should be made more attractive as a means to stimulate interest and joviality among the clients and nurses alike.
• More community integration and awareness programme to be put in place to
break silence, stigma and discrimination about intellectual disability.
• Open days to be celebrated on an annual basis so that the community is aware
of the services provided by the centre.
5.3.2 Recommendations for nursing education and training
It has been evidenced from the participants’ feedback that the students did not like the idea that the centre’s clinical placement was placed in the last year of study. Therefore, it is important that the students be taken for an educational tour in their third year before the real placement so that they are emotionally and psychologically prepared. This will minimise the negative feelings experienced. Due to this effect, students can develop more interest to work at the centre after completion.
Some form of counselling should be provided to students’ pre and post clinical placement in order to offer psychological support to the students.
Nurse educators may consider a longer duration like four weeks instead of two weeks for placement. The importance of longer placement period will assist students in knowing and understanding users in order to minimise frustrations and to promote successful communication. Knowing a person plays a major role in successful communication.
5.3.3 Recommendations for nursing educators
It has been evidenced from the students’ feedback that students need more support from the nurse educators when placed at the centre in order to offer more emotional support. The availability of full time mentors will assist in offering emotional support and ensuring that the centre is conducive for students to achieve their learning outcomes. .
5.3.4 Recommendations for clinical practice
It has been recommended that the unavailability of resources both material and human resources were the main challenges that impacted negatively on the quality of care. Stimulation was not being done due to lack of availability of staff. Due to this effect, users could not achieve quality patient care and improved quality of life. Most of the uses that were institutionalised in the care and rehabilitation centre relapsed more than progressing. Furthermore, staff exhibited low morale and burnout which ultimately led to high staff turnover and high absenteeism. The recommendations for clinical practice are:
• The centre to introduced service awards by nominating sister of the month and
ward of the month to recognise service excellence. Prizes, certificates and awards to be issued to recognise excellence service delivery. Furthermore, service certificates to be issued to staffs who have never been absent for a period of a year. Service awards to be awarded to staff who has worked at the centre from as early as five years because is never easy taking care of users with profound intellectual disabilities.
• The staff must also be rotated in different wards on a three year basis to minimise stagnation and resistance to the changes.
• The centre to recruit more matured nurses and even retired nurses with passion for intellectual disabilities to work at the centre in order to minimise high staff turnover and reduce shortage.
• The centre to take emotional wellbeing of the staff into consideration. The
implementation of employee wellness programme to assist with the well-being of the employees.
• Collaboration with the psychologists to offer emotional support and counselling to employees who experience psychological trauma of dealing with users on a daily basis.
• Employment of speech and language therapists to assist with the communication
difficulties experienced by nurses when they care for users with communication challenges.
• Employment of social workers to assist with the family traces as some of the
users have been dumped and neglected with no family contacts. The centre has become a home and no longer rehabilitation setup.
• More in-service training on sign language and stimulation programme to be
introduced to the staff to promote general wellbeing of the users with intellectual disabilities in order to encourage autonomy and independence among users.
5.3.5 Recommendations for the Gauteng Department of Health
It has been evidenced that the centres that deals with profound intellectual disabilities are separated far from the community. It is recommended that the centre be placed within the community where it will be easily accessible and within reach. It is recommended that the centre be not treated in isolation but be integrated with other bigger psychiatric institutions in order to minimise high staff turnover.
Furthermore, it is recommended that more incentives be given to staff working at the centre with profound intellectual disabilities to attract more nurses because it is never easy taking care of users with profound intellectual disabilities. Caring for users with profound intellectual y to be regarded as a speciality which needs special care and attention.
More programmes and awareness campaign to be put in place to support individuals, communities and institutions dealing with intellectually disabled users. More funds to be allocated so that intellectual disability receives much attention like any other chronic illness.
5.3.6 Recommendations for nursing research
It is recommended that furtherance of research be done in order to effect changes in caring for users with profound intellectual disabilities. It is recommended that support programmes, policy formulation and conceptual framework be researched to improve quality of life with people living with intellectual disabilities so that they too could achieve that great sense of general well-being and happiness.