Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T19:15:27.788Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Observational Study of Quality of Life in NHS Nursing Homes and a Long-stay Ward for the Elderly

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2008

Patricia Clark  and
Ann Bowling
Patricia Clark
Affiliation:
Research Assistant, Department of General Practice and Primary Care, St. Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, Charterhouse Square, London EC1, England.
Ann Bowling
Affiliation:
Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health and Policy, Health Services Research Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1, England (address for correspondence).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

An observational study was carried out in order to measure the quality of life of elderly people in two different types of long-stay care (two NHS nursing homes and a hospital ward). This formed part of a wider evaluation study of these two forms of institutional care. Qualitative techniques provided insights into the behaviours, moods, interactions and atmospheres in the settings, which were difficult to measure using traditional survey approaches. The observational study showed that it is.essential not to rely solely on interview material, and assessments of mental and physical functioning, when evaluating long-stay care. Characteristics of ‘total institutions’ clearly emerged from the analyses of the hospital ward, although the inclusion of the hospital patients' Club in the study revealed that these need not be inevitable, and that both the ward and the homes could be improved if modelled on the more autonomous and flexible philosophy of the Club.

Type
Research Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , June 1989 , pp. 123 - 148
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

NOTES

1 Wilkin, D. ‘Theoretical and conceptual issues in the measurement of dependency’. Paper presented at conference of British Society of Gerontology, Glasgow, 1986.Google Scholar

2 MacDonald, A., Mann, A., Jenkins, R., Richard, L., Godlove, C. and Rodwell, G.An attempt to determine the impact of four types of care upon the elderly in London by the study of matched groups. Psychological Medicine, 12 (1982), 193–200.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

3 Wade, B., Sawyer, L. and Bell, J.Dependency with dignity. Paper in Social Administration. Bell and Sons, London, 1983.Google Scholar

4 Capewell, A., Primrose, W. and MacIntyre, C.Nursing dependency in registered nursing homes and long-term-care geriatric wards in Edinburgh. British Medical Journal, 292 (1986), 1719–1721.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

5 Humphreys, H. and Kassab, J.An investigation into private sector nursing and residential home care for the elderly in North Wales. Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 36 (1986), 500–503.Google ScholarPubMed

6 Watson, A. and Anderson, J.An estimate of the effects of relocation on elderly mentally frail patients. Health Bulletin, 45 (1987), 20–24.Google ScholarPubMed

7 Willcocks, D., Peace, S. and Kellaher, L.Private Lives in Public Places. Tavistock Publications, London, 1987.Google Scholar

8 Kane, R. A. and Kane, R. L. Long-term care: a field in search of values, in Kane, R. L. and Kane, R. A. (eds), Values and Long-Term Carer. Lexington Books, Massachusetts, 1982.Google Scholar

9 Bond, J., Atkinson, A., Bond, S. et al. Evaluation of long-stay accommodation for elderly people. Interim Report, vols I–III. Health Care Research Unit, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 1986.Google Scholar

10 Graham, J.Experimental nursing homes for elderly people in the NHS. Age and Ageing, 12 (1983), 272–374.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

11 Lemke, S. and Moos, R. H.Quality of residential settings for elderly adults. Journal of Gerontology, 41 (1986), 268–276.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

12 Institute of Medicine. The Elderly and Functional Dependency: A Policy Statement. National Academy of Sciences, Washington DC, 1977.Google Scholar

13 Personal Social Services Council. Residential Care Reviewed, PSSC, London, 1977.Google Scholar

14 Tobin, S. and Lieberman, M.Last Home for the Aged, Jossey Bass, San Francisco, 1976.Google Scholar

15 Booth, T. ‘Institutional regimes and resident outcomes in homes for the elderly’, in Philipson, C., Bernard, M. and Strang, P. (eds), Dependency and Interdependence in Old Age. Theoretical Perspectives and Policy Alternatives, Croom Helm, London, 1985.Google Scholar

16 Norton, S., Care, N., Exton, Smith A. N.An Investigation of Geriatric Nursing Problems in Hospital, Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, 1975.Google Scholar

17 Patterson, E. A. Case Work: The Social Organisation of Old People's Homes. PhD thesis. University of Warwick, 1986.Google Scholar

18 Wells, T.Problems in Geriatric Nursing Care, Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, 1980.Google Scholar

19 Jenkins, J., Felce, D., Lunt, B. and Powell, L.Engagement in Activities by Old People in Residential Care. Winchester Health Care Evaluation Team, Research Report 150, Winchester, 1978.Google Scholar

20 Keith, Ross J.Old People, New Lives. Community Creation in a Retirement Residence. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1977.Google Scholar

21 Peace, S., Hall, J. F. and Hamblin, J. R.The Quality of Life of the Elderly in Residential Care. Survey Research Centre Report No. 1. Department of Applied Social Studies, Polytechnic of North London, London, 1979.Google Scholar

22 McClannhan, L. E. and Risley, T. R.Design of living environments for nursing home residents: increasing participation in recreation activities. Journal of Applied Behaviour Analysis, 8 (1975), 261–268.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

23 Godlove, C., Richard, L. and Rodwell, G.Time for Action. An Observational Study of Elderly People in Four Different Care Environments. Community Care, University of Sheffield, Joint Unit for Social Services Research. Social Services Monographs: Research in Practice, Sheffield, 1981.Google Scholar

24 Davies, D. M. and Snaith, P. A.The social behaviour of geriatric patients at mealtimes: an observation and an intervention study. Age and Aging, 9 (1980), 93–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

25 Jenkins, J., Felce, D., Lunt, B. and Powell, L.Increasing engagement in activity of residents in old people's homes by providing recreational materials. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 15 (1977), 429–434.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

26 Cumming, E. and Henry, W. E.Growing Old: the Process of Disengagement. Basic Books, New York, 1961.Google Scholar

27 Thomae, H. ‘Life satisfaction and activity – two independent dimensions of variability in psychological ageing’. Paper presented at Conference of European Region of International Association of Gerontology, Brighton, 15–18 09, 1987.Google Scholar

28 Kandler, H., Behymer, A. F., Kegeles, S. and Boyd, R. W.A study of nurse-patient interaction in a mental hospital. American Journal of Nursing, 52 (1952), 1100–1103.Google Scholar

29 Behymer, A. F.Interaction patterns and attitudes of affiliate student nurses in a psychiatric hospital. Nursing Outlook, 1 (1953), 205–207.Google Scholar

30 Cataldo, M. F. and Risley, T. ‘The organisation of group care environments: the infant day centre’. Paper presented at American Psychological Association, Honolulu, 1972.Google Scholar

31 Moores, B. and Grant, G. W. B.On the nature and incidence of staff-patient interactions in hospitals for the mentally handicapped. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 13 (1976), 69–81.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

32 Felce, D., Kushlick, A. and Mansell, J.Evaluation of alternative residential facilities for the severely mentally handicapped in Wessex: client engagement. Advanced Behaviour Research Therapy, 3 (1980), 13–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

33 Goffman, E. ‘On the characteristics of total institutions’, in Cressey, D. R. (ed.), The Prison, Holt, Rinehart and Winston Inc., New York, 1961.Google Scholar

34 Mendola, W. F. and Pellegrini, R. V.Quality of life and coronary artery bypass surgery patients. Social Science and Medicine, 13 (1979), 457–61.Google Scholar

35 Evans, G., Jolley, D. and Wilkin, D.The Management of Mental and Physical Impairment in Non-specialist Residential Homes for the Elderly. Research Report No. 4. University of Manchester, Department of Psychiatry and Community Medicine, Manchester, 1981.Google Scholar

36 Neugarten, B. L., Havighurst, R. J. and Tobin, S. S.Measurement of life satisfaction. Journal of Gerontology, 16 (1961), 134–143.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

37 Pattie, A. H. and Gilleard, C. J.Manual of the Clifton Assessment Procedures for the Elderly (CAPE). Hodder and Stoughton, Kent, 1979.Google Scholar

38 Hamilton, M.The development of a rating scale for primary depressive illness. British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 6 (1967), 278–296.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

39 Miller, D. K. and Homan, S. M.Graphic aid for determining power of clinical trials involving two groups. British Medical Journal. 297 (1988), 672–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

40 Abercrombie, M. J. L. ‘Small groups’, in Foss, B. (ed.), New Horizons in Psychology. Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, England, 1966.Google Scholar

41 Porterfield, J. and Blunden, R. (undated). Establishing an activity period and an individual skill training within a day setting for profoundly mentally handicapped adults. Welsh National School of Medicine, Cardiff.Google Scholar

42 Quilitch, H. R.A comparison of three staff management procedures. Journal of Applied Behavioural Analysis, 8 (1975), 59–66.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

43 Lelaurin, K. and Risley, T. R.The organisation of day care environments: ‘zone’ versus ‘man’ to ‘man’ staff assignments. Journal of Applied Behavioural Analysis, 5 (1972), 225–232.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

44 Miller, E. J. and Gwynne, G. V.A Life Apart. Tavistock Publications, London, 1972.Google Scholar

45 Royal College of Physicians. Medical Care of the elderly. Report of the Working Party of the Royal College of Physicians of London. The Lancet, 1 (1977), 1092–1095.Google Scholar