Next of kin's perceptions of the meaning of participation in the care of older persons in nursing homes: a phenomenographic study.
Kajsa Ekström, Sanna Spelmans, Gerd Ahlström and 4 others
PMID 30604875WHAT IT FOUND
Next of kin described participation as being present, communicating, monitoring, doing practical tasks and representing the older person.
Being present was reported by 18 next of kin.
Key findings
01Five categories described next of kin's meanings of participation: be present, communicate, monitor, do practical tasks and represent.
02The reported counts were 18 for be present, 14 for communicate, 12 for monitor, 13 for do practical tasks and 4 for represent.
03Monitoring care and representing the older person were described as meanings of participation that reflected lack of trust in nursing home staff.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The 18 next of kin were selected by contact persons at nursing homes, which may have affected who was asked and may have favoured people who were satisfied with care or visited frequently. The main interview question about participation was sometimes hard to understand because participation is an abstract concept. The study included only Swedish-speaking next of kin from ten nursing homes in southern Sweden, so it reflects those participants and settings. The study describes perceptions and did not test whether staff communication or presence improves care.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest. The study was funded by The Swedish Research Council, The Vårdal Foundation, The Greta and Johan Kock Foundation, The Ragnhild and Einar Lundström foundation and The Ribbingska Memorial Foundation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that nursing home communication improves care or reduces family distress. The study describes 18 next of kin's perceptions and did not test an intervention.