Open this publication in new window or tab >>2016 (English)In: Journal of Aging Studies, ISSN 0890-4065, E-ISSN 1879-193X, Vol. 37, p. 1-9Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
The purpose of this article is to analyse the phenomenon of supportive care for older persons' well-being. The phenomenon is seen from the eldercarers' meaning-making through their lifeworld perspective at a residential care home. Based on primary empirical interview material with twelve professionals in the context of Swedish eldercare, a phenomenological analysis was undertaken. The result shows that the phenomenon of supportive care for older persons' well-being creates certain ambiguities in the professionals' meaning-making. In practice, it balances between the older persons' (from hereon called residents) needs and the conditions of the eldercare organization. The ambiguities (the what) is made up by three constituents: (i) freedom of choice for the older persons vs. institutional constraints, (ii) the residents' need for activation vs. wanting not to be activated, and (iii) the residents' need for routine vs. the eldercarers' not being able to know what the residents need. The conclusions drawn are that this ambiguity has consequences for the eldercarers' choice of handling supportive care for older persons' well-being (the how). They have to navigate between the support for authenticity, dwelling and mobility, and their own presence and time. In performing supportive care for older persons' well-being, the eldercarers have to consider aspects concerning the resident's lifeworld, the social setting of the eldercare ward, and the institutional demands of the organization. The practical implications for supporting well-being in the care of older residents are manifested in the importance of 'the little things', and the eldercarer's ability to give receptive attention, which requires presence.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2016
Keywords
Supportive care, Well-being, Lived experience, Care professionals, Residential care home
National Category
Other Medical Sciences Social Work Social Psychology
Research subject
Woman, Child and Family (WomFam)
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:his:diva-12600 (URN)10.1016/j.jaging.2016.01.001 (DOI)000376704700001 ()27131273 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-84960873221 (Scopus ID)
2016-06-272016-06-272017-11-27Bibliographically approved