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Developing personal relationships in care homes: realising the contributions of staff, residents and family members

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 June 2009

CHRISTINE BROWN WILSON ,
SUE DAVIES  and
MIKE NOLAN
CHRISTINE BROWN WILSON*
Affiliation:
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester, UK.
SUE DAVIES
Affiliation:
Visiting Reader, University of Sheffield, UK.
MIKE NOLAN
Affiliation:
Sheffield Institute for Studies on Ageing, University of Sheffield, UK.
*
Address for correspondence: Christine Brown Wilson, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Personal relationships are an integral part of living, working and visiting in care homes, but little research has made relationships the main focus of enquiry, and there have been few studies of the perspectives of residents, staff and family members. The study reported here sought to redress this neglect. 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.

Keywords

relationshipscare homesolder peopleresident-centred carerelationship-centred care
Type
Research Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 29 , Issue 7 , October 2009 , pp. 1041 - 1063
Copyright
Copyright © 2009 Cambridge University Press

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