Live and let live: Residents' perspectives on alcohol and tobacco (mis)use in residential care facilities.
Lisette de Graaf, Tineke Roelofs, Meriam Janssen and 1 others
PMID 36229901WHAT IT FOUND
Residents in care facilities wanted autonomy over alcohol and tobacco, but relied on caregivers to buy alcohol or cigarettes and on nurses to help them smoke.
They accepted limits only when use disturbed others.
Key findings
01Residents said people should decide for themselves about alcohol and tobacco as long as use did not bother others.
02Residents depended on informal caregivers to buy alcohol or cigarettes, and nurses helped some residents go outside and light cigarettes.
03Five of six participants who still drank were happy with their use, and four of five who still smoked wanted to continue.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 16 residents were interviewed, and the sample had more men than women, while Dutch care facilities have more women than men. Residents with severe communication impairments were excluded, so views of people who could not be interviewed are missing. Alcohol and tobacco use was self-reported and not checked with caregivers, so underreporting is possible. The study was done in two organisations in the Netherlands, so it may not apply elsewhere. Because it is qualitative, it describes experiences and themes, not effects of any intervention. Only residents were interviewed, so staff perspectives are not reported.
Declared interests
The paper does not report funding or conflicts of interest. The interviewer worked as a psychologist in one participating organisation, though she was not clinically involved with participants.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat the themes as evidence that a specific alcohol or tobacco policy improves care. The study interviewed 16 residents and did not test any intervention or outcome.