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Attitudes of direct-care workers at a residential facility

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Abstract

A self-administered questionnaire was developed to examine two dimensions of staff attitudes: (a) the perceived importance of skills that direct-care workers who are asked to teach their clients, and (b) staff expectations that clients will show improvement in these areas. The relationship between importance/ expectancy ratings and self-reported teaching activity was studied in a sample of 32 direct-care workers at a residential facility for adults with developmental disabilities. In general, direct-care workers reported that they were most frequently engaged in escorting clients, watching and teaching clients during recreational activities, and dealing with client's emotional/behavioral outbursts. Improtance/expectancy ratings were correlated significantly with the education level of respondents, but not with self-reported teaching activity.

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Rice, D.M., Rosen, M. & Macmann, G.M. Attitudes of direct-care workers at a residential facility. J Dev Phys Disabil 3, 59–67 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01046178

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