Nursing home quality of life needs improving - report

NOT ENOUGH attention is being paid to the quality of life of older people in nursing homes, according to a study by researchers at NUI Galway.

Sense of identity, activities, the care ethos and connections with others were the main factors which residential facilities needed to take into account to improve quality of life, the research found.

“Care staff should regard the quality of life of residents as an integral part of their role and residents and their families should have significant input into how services are structured and delivered,” said lead author Dr Adeline Cooney, of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at NUIG.

The study of 101 older Irish people in long-stay nursing homes was published in the May issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

Best care practice includes having a choice about when patients were woken or had their meals, the report said.

Patients with a set routine felt they were just a number while those who could shape their own day reported feeling “at home”.

Personal space was also important for a sense of identity.

While those in public wards reported the greatest lack of privacy, people in private rooms said nurses would “barge in” without knocking.

Residents had a greater sense of self worth if their knowledge was drawn on by staff or if they took part in running the facility.

Relationships with family and other residents and keeping up with current affairs were all factors in the wellbeing of residents. It was particularly an issue for those with limited mobility.

Those without activities such as cards, bingo, painting reported that days were long and boring, the study found.

Residents involved in the decision to move into care tended to be happy while others tended to withdraw into themselves, Dr Cooney said.