Family Caregivers' Experiences in Nursing Homes: Narratives on Human Dignity and Uneasiness

This qualitative study focused on dignity in nursing homes from the perspective of family caregivers. Dignity is a complex concept and central to nursing. Dignity in nursing homes is a challenge, according to research. Family caregivers are frequently involved in their family members’ daily experiences at the nursing home. Twenty-eight family caregivers were included in this Scandinavian cross-country, descriptive, and explorative study. A phenomenological-hermeneutic approach was used to understand the meaning of the narrated text. The interpretations revealed two main themes: “One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself” and “Uneasiness due to indignity.” Dignity was maintained in experiences of respect, confidence, security, and charity. Uneasiness occurred when indignity arose. Although family caregivers may be taciturn, their voices are important in nursing homes. Further investigation of family caregivers’ experiences in the context of nursing homes is warranted

Maintaining dignity in vulnerability : A qualitative study of the residents' perspective on dignity in nursing homes

Author's accepted version (post-print)

Dignity and existential concerns among nursing homes residents from the perspective of their relatives

Aims and objectives: The aim of this cross-country Scandinavian study was to explore how residents in nursing homes experience that their dignity is promoted and attended to. This is one part of the Scandinavian project in which we interviewed residents, relatives and staff members. Background: The main subject concerns the dignity of residents of nursing homes for older people. This article brings forward results from interviews of relatives on how they experience that the dignity is met, promoted and attended to for their next of kin. Design: The study was qualitative with a hermeneutic approach. Methods: Qualitative research interviews of 28 relatives of residents at six participating nursing homes in Scandinavia. The results derive from analysis of the interviews using Kvale’s three levels of interpretation; self-understanding, common sense and a theoretical understanding. Results: The following themes emerged, from the perspective of the relatives, concerning what was deemed important to the resident according his existential needs and concerns: a). To have a comfortable, homely and practical room. b). To have close contact with family, friends and with the staff. c). To have aesthetic needs and concerns attended to. d). To have ethical needs and intrinsic values attended to. e). To have cultural and spiritual needs and concerns attended to. Conclusion: The results provide more substance to the theme and are all important in terms of the residents’ feeling of worthiness and dignity. In general it seemed that the relatives experienced a positive encounter with the staff, but it was also mentioned that staff members were not confronted about episodes that were undignified and disgraceful. This could be a sign or expression that they were worried that negative responses or complaints could lead to a kind of reprisal against the resident and to indignit

The significance of meaningful and enjoyable activities for nursing home resident’s experiences of dignity.

Author's accepted version (post-print).This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Slettebø, Å., Sæteren, B., Caspari, S., Lohne, V., Rehnsfeldt, A.W., Heggestad, A.K.T., ... Nåden, D. (2016). The significance of meaningful and enjoyable activities for nursing home resident’s experiences of dignity. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/scs.12386

Family Caregivers' Experiences in Nursing Homes: Narratives on Human Dignity and Uneasiness

This qualitative study focused on dignity in nursing homes from the perspective of family caregivers. Dignity is a complex concept and central to nursing. Dignity in nursing homes is a challenge, according to research. Family caregivers are frequently involved in their family members’ daily experiences at the nursing home. Twenty-eight family caregivers were included in this Scandinavian cross-country, descriptive, and explorative study. A phenomenological-hermeneutic approach was used to understand the meaning of the narrated text. The interpretations revealed two main themes: “One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself” and “Uneasiness due to indignity.” Dignity was maintained in experiences of respect, confidence, security, and charity. Uneasiness occurred when indignity arose. Although family caregivers may be taciturn, their voices are important in nursing homes. Further investigation of family caregivers’ experiences in the context of nursing homes is warranted

The meaning of dignity in nursing home care as seen by relatives

Author's version of an article in the journal: Nursing Ethics. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0969733013511358Background: As part of an ongoing Scandinavian project on the dignity of care for older people, this studyis based on 'clinical caring science' as a scientific discipline. Clinical caring science examines how groundconcepts, axioms and theories are expressed in different clinical contexts. Central notions are caringculture, dignity, at-home-ness, the little extra, non-caring cultures versus caring cultures and ethicalcontext - and climate.Aim and assumptions: This study investigates the individual variations of caring cultures in relation todignity and how it is expressed in caring acts and ethical contexts. Three assumptions are formulated:(1) the caring culture of nursing homes influences whether dignified care is provided, (2) an ethos that isreflected on and appropriated by the caregiver mirrors itself in ethical caring acts and as artful caring inan ethical context and (3) caring culture is assumed to be a more ontological or universal concept than,for example, an ethical context or ethical person-to-person acts.Research design: The methodological approach is hermeneutic. The data consist of 28 interviews withrelatives of older persons from Norway, Denmark and Sweden.Ethical considerations: The principles of voluntariness, confidentiality and anonymity were respectedduring the whole research process.Findings: Three patterns were revealed: dignity as at-home-ness, dignity as the little extra and nondignifyingethical context.Discussion: Caring communion, invitation, at-home-ness and 'the little extra' are expressions of ethicalcontexts and caring acts in a caring culture. A non-caring culture may not consider the dignity of itsresidents and may be represented by routinized care that values organizational efficiency andinstrumentalism rather than an individual's dignity and self-worth.Conclusion: An ethos must be integrated in both the organization and in the individual caregiver in orderto be expressed in caring acts and in an ethical context that supports these caring acts

Dignity and existential concerns among nursing homes residents from the perspective of their relatives

Aims and objectives: The aim of this cross-country Scandinavian study was to explore how residents in nursing homes experience that their dignity is promoted and attended to. This is one part of the Scandinavian project in which we interviewed residents, relatives and staff members. Background: The main subject concerns the dignity of residents of nursing homes for older people. This article brings forward results from interviews of relatives on how they experience that the dignity is met, promoted and attended to for their next of kin. Design: The study was qualitative with a hermeneutic approach. Methods: Qualitative research interviews of 28 relatives of residents at six participating nursing homes in Scandinavia. The results derive from analysis of the interviews using Kvale’s three levels of interpretation; self-understanding, common sense and a theoretical understanding. Results: The following themes emerged, from the perspective of the relatives, concerning what was deemed important to the resident according his existential needs and concerns: a). To have a comfortable, homely and practical room. b). To have close contact with family, friends and with the staff. c). To have aesthetic needs and concerns attended to. d). To have ethical needs and intrinsic values attended to. e). To have cultural and spiritual needs and concerns attended to. Conclusion: The results provide more substance to the theme and are all important in terms of the residents’ feeling of worthiness and dignity. In general it seemed that the relatives experienced a positive encounter with the staff, but it was also mentioned that staff members were not confronted about episodes that were undignified and disgraceful. This could be a sign or expression that they were worried that negative responses or complaints could lead to a kind of reprisal against the resident and to indignit