Continuity Of Care Model

Continuity of care model v standard
Through Australia, the models of care are highly varied. The research suggests that when comparing continuity of care to standard care, continuity of care allows for women and midwives to gain rapport and thus an increase in the overall satisfaction of care (Aune; (Yelland; Schmied, 2007; Brown, 2005; Jenkins, 2013; McLacklan, 2006). Women are more likely to develop confidence in skills with a known midwife and, therefore, an increase in self esteem and maternal satisfaction. Despite this research, it is almost impossible for all women to receive continuity of care due to part time rostering, length of stay and number of staff. Although the amount of women being cared for by continuity of care models are
(p1.yelland 2006; Fenwick, 2009; Brown, 2005; McLacklan, 2006). The lack of flexibility and hospital routines and procedures often interrupt women trying to sleep. The hospital routine does not take into account that most mothers are up during the night and regularly sleep during the day. Antenatally there is a contrast as women are able to go home from an appointment and sleep in their own bed with their partner’s
Studies show that the current provision of education is not meeting the standards for parents (McKellar, 2005) and it is difficult to educate women during the short time they are on the postnatal ward as they are also mainly tired (McLacklan, 2006). Research shows that the length of stay should be flexible and based on individual needs of each woman and that fixed length of stay may inhibit rather than support individualised care (McLacklan, 2006). Due to lack of time, midwives miss the opportunity to make an assessment of the woman’s needs and therefore not able to make individualised care plans leading women to not feeling that they received the required information causing a greater level of dissatisfaction (McLacklan, 2006; Fenwick,2009.) The findings from one survey suggested that on average, women were receiving a total of 3 hours of education and support over a 72 hour period (MCKellar, 2005). A survey showed that multiparous women were less likely to see the midwife and receive an education based on the assumption that they remembered the knowledge from their last child (Fenwick, 2009). This does not take into consideration the length of time-based between children, forgetting knowledge and skills and that each baby is different ( Fenwick, 2009). However, primiparous women were overall less satisfied with postnatal care than multiparous