A Narrative Exploration of Family Members' Perspectives of Life Story Phases Following Transition of an Older Family Relative Into Long-Term Care.
Melissa Corbally, Orla Ffrench, Daragh Rodger and 2 others
PMID 39638954WHAT IT FOUND
Family members described life-story phases after moving an older parent into long-term care: before transition, crisis, transition, and after.
They felt unprepared, with relief and guilt. Matching information and family support to each phase could help nurses.
Key findings
01All six family participants described four temporal phases: before transition, crisis event, transition, and after transition.
02Two themes, family dynamics and knowledge and understanding, influenced all phases of the transitioning process.
03After transition, participants re-evaluated their lives and expressed relief, grief and guilt.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only six relatives were interviewed, all from one large nursing home, so the findings may not apply to other families or settings. All participants were second-generation relatives, so spouses, siblings and other carers may have different experiences. The study did not test whether nurse-led information or support changes family or patient outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these phases as proof that a nurse-led support programme works. The study describes relatives' narratives and did not test outcomes.