We have to turn a transatlantic liner-Leaders' perspectives on creating a meaningful life for older persons receiving municipal care.
Annica Kihlgren, Inger James, Margaretha Norell Pejner
PMID 37408144WHAT IT FOUND
Elder care leaders said meaningful daily life requires starting from each older person's preferences, flexible routines, hiring staff suited to person-centred care, and treating relatives as individual co-participants.
They described changing the whole system as like turning a transatlantic liner.
Key findings
01Leaders said creating a meaningful daily life required work on several levels across the organization and compared this to turning a transatlantic liner.
02Leaders said care should start from the older person's own point of view and allow flexible routines so staff can provide the small individual things the person finds meaningful.
03Leaders said involving older persons and relatives as co-participants was important, and some staff needed help listening to relatives.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study included only leaders in one Swedish municipality, so the themes may not represent other services. Participants were leaders rather than older persons, relatives, or direct care staff, and the paper says leaders do not work directly with patient care. The analysis reports perspectives and themes, not patient outcomes, so it cannot show that the proposed changes create meaningful daily life. Some leaders did not attend the second discussion and contributed by proxy, which may have reduced depth of reflection. The sample was a convenience sample of leaders, not a random or national sample.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflict of interest and state that funding was none.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these leaders' views as proof that person-centred changes improve older persons' meaningful daily life. The study reports leaders' perspectives, not patient outcomes or tested interventions.