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Developing personal relationships in care homes: realising the contributions of staff, residents and family members
- Authors:
- WILSON Christine Brown, DAVIES Sue, NOLAN Mike
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 29(7), October 2009, pp.1041-1063.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Using a constructivist approach, the nature and types of relationships between residents, staff and family members were explored in three care homes in England using combined methods including participant observation, interviews and focus groups. The data collection and analysis occurred iteratively over 21 months and three types of relationships were identified: ‘pragmatic relationships’ that primarily focus on the instrumental aspects of care; ‘personal and responsive relationships’ that engage more fully with the particular needs of individual residents; and ‘reciprocal relationships’ that recognise the roles of residents, staff and family members in creating a sense of community within the home. This paper explores the contributions made by staff, residents and family members in the development of these relationships. The findings enhance our understanding of the role of inter-personal relationships in care home settings and of the factors that condition them. The implications for developing improved practice in care homes are also considered.
Transitions in care homes: towards relationship-centred care using the 'Senses Framework'
- Authors:
- NOLAN Mike, DAVIES Sue, BROWN Jayne
- Journal article citation:
- Quality in Ageing, 7(3), September 2006, pp.5-14.
- Publisher:
- Pier Professional
- Place of publication:
- Brighton
Long-term care in general, and care homes in particular, have never enjoyed high status as a place to live and work. This marginalised position is largely due to the continued failure to value the contribution that care homes make to supporting frail and vulnerable older people. In order to promote a more positive vision of what can be achieved in care homes, this paper argues for the adoption of a relationship-centred approach to care. The need for such a model is described, and how it might be applied using the 'Senses Framework' is considered. It is argued that adopting such a philosophy will provide a clearers sense of therapeutic direction for staff working in care homes, as well as more explicitly recognising the contribution that residents and relatives can make to creating an 'enriched environment' of care.
'Making the move': relatives' experiences of the transition to a care home
- Authors:
- DAVIES Sue, NOLAN Mike
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 12(6), November 2004, pp.517-526.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Despite a growing awareness of the significance of helping a relative to relocate to a care home as a key phase in the caregiving career, relatively few studies in the UK have explored this experience in depth. The research on which the present paper is based sought to better understand experiences of nursing home placement from the viewpoint of relatives. The study was informed by a constructivist perspective. Data were collected in 37 semi-structured interviews involving 48 people who had assisted a close relative to move into a nursing home. Data analysis revealed three phases of the transition from the relatives' perspective: 'making the best of it'; 'making the move'; and 'making it better'. The relatives' experiences across these phases were understood in terms of five continua, reflecting the extent to which they felt they were: operating 'under pressure' or not; 'working together' or 'working alone'; 'supported' or 'unsupported', both practically and emotionally; 'in the know' or 'working in the dark'; and 'in control of events' or not. This paper reports on the findings which relate to the second phase of the transition, 'making the move', which relates to experiences around the time of relocation to the care home environment. The findings suggest that health and social care practitioners have enormous potential to influence relatives' experiences of nursing home entry. Experiences are enhanced if family carers perceive that they are able to work in partnership with care staff in order to ease the transition for the older person.
'Making the best of things’: relatives' experiences of decisions about care-home entry
- Authors:
- DAVIES Sue, NOLAN Mike
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 23(4), July 2003, pp.429-450.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Despite the growing awareness of the significance of helping a relative to relocate to a care home as a key phase in the care-giving career, relatively few British studies have explored this experience in depth. Informed by a constructivist perspective, this study sought a better understanding of nursing home placements from the viewpoint of relatives. Data were collected in 37 semi-structured interviews involving 48 people who had assisted a close relative to move into a nursing home. Analysis revealed three perceived phases to the transition: ‘making the best of it’, ‘making the move’ and ‘making it better’. The relatives' experiences through these phases had five perceived elements, all of which were continua, from absent to very strong, reflecting the extent to which they were felt. They were: operating ‘under pressure’ or not; ‘in the know’ or ‘working in the dark’; ‘working together’ or ‘working alone’; ‘in control of events’ or not, and ‘supported’ or ‘unsupported’ both practically and emotionally. This paper reports findings about the first phase of the transition, ‘making the best of it’, and documents the experiences of decision-making about nursing home placements. It is argued that health and social care practitioners have enormous potential to influence whether or not helping a relative to move into a nursing home is perceived as a positive choice.
Enhancing the quality of care in residential and nursing homes: more than just a professional responsibility
- Author:
- NOLAN Mike
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 10(1/2), 1999, pp.61-77.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This article highlights a range of issues considered essential to improving the quality of care received by older people in residential and nursing home settings. It is argued that improving such care represents a societal as well as a professional responsibility and that remedial action is needed at a number of levels. Five 'routes' to achieving quality are outlined, and it is suggested that these are not simply alternatives but that each requires attention if genuine progress is to be made.