Relationships are an integral part of living, working and visiting in care homes. However, few studies have considered relationships as their main focus of enquiry, and there has been a relative dearth of work that has included the perspectives of residents, staff and families. This study sought to redress this imbalance. Using a constructivist approach the nature and types of relationships between residents, staff and families were explored in three homes through a combination of methods including participation, observation, interviews and focus groups. Data collection and analysis occurred concurrently and three types of relationships were identified: pragmatic relationships, which had as their primary focus the instrumental aspects of care; personal and responsive relationships that engaged more fully with the wider needs of individual residents; and reciprocal relationships that sought to recognise the contribution of residents, staff and families to creating a sense of community within the homes. More detailed analysis revealed a number of factors that helped to shape the relationships with each home including: the personal motivations and values of staff; leadership style; teamwork, and the input of residents and families. Findings from the thesis enhance our understanding of the importance of, and dynamics contributing to, relationships within a care home setting. These insights are considered with reference to current notions of person centred and relationship centred care and a framework for promoting a relationship centred approach is ii presented. Implications for policy, practice and education are considered and recommendations made.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:445118 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Brown Wilson, Christine R. |
| Publisher | University of Sheffield |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/14909/ |
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