Occupational conditions of ward staff and quality of residential care for individuals with mental retardation.

Effects of occupational conditions of ward staff on the quality of residential care for individuals with mental retardation was assessed. Three questions were asked: (a) Does type of contract under which staff members are employed differentially affect their distribution of activities? (b) Does length of duty have an effect on their distribution of activities? (c) Does the number of staff members present on the living group influence quality of care? Over a 40-week period, data were collected on 30 ward staff members who were responsible for 39 residents with severe and profound mental retardation. Results show that staff differentially distributed their activities, especially with respect to organizational activities and the amount of custodial care, depending on the type of contract they were employed under and the number of consecutive days they worked. Number of staff present on the living group appeared to be a major factor in terms of distribution of activities. Implications for staff managers and administrators of residential facilities were discussed.