Working towards the ideal: the changing environment in KCHT homes

Abstract

The study reported follows a previous review of resident, relatives' and staff views of five KCHT homes which wasundertaken in the spring of 1993. Focusing on the social environment the earlier study examined both perceptions of the 'ideal home' and how the homes were operating in practice (Lawson, 1993). In order to consider how these changes had affected life for residents KCHT commissioned a further study to explore the current situation in the same five homes. There was particular interest in the residents perspective and in the impact of the approaches being taken to resident activities. The sheltered care environment scale (SCES), completed by both staff and residents, was used to measure the social climate of the homes. This was compared with the measures obtained two years ago. For the most part homes appeared to have moved towards the ideal. From the staff perspective there was a statistically significant increase in levels of Cohesion, Organisation and Physical Comfort and a significant decrease in levels of Conflict. Residents experienced a significant increase in Independence. The only exception to this very positive picture was Resident Influence that appeared to have declined over the period. The measures of Cohesion and Independence had increased more and were at an overall higher level at the time of thisstudy in the homes which employed individual workers whose primary responsibility was the organisation of activities forresidents. The social networks of residents were examined by asking residents who they would turn to in certain situations. Residentsturned primarily to supervisory staff and to friends and relatives outside the home when they had a personal worry. Friends and relatives outside the home dominated when there was a social celebration and supervisory staff would usually be approached when them was a concern about the care being provided