Qualitative study of social interaction in care homes
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Qualitative exploration of the social lives' of older adults living in care homes.
IRAS ID
218649
Contact name
Holly Standing
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
In later life many older adults move from their own homes, to residential facilities. This study aims to explore the social lives of older adults living in residential care. Residents social networks may comprise of various actors, including: existing relationships outside of the care home, other residents and care home staff.
Entering a care home sparks significant change to an individual's social circumstances, often involving a move from the home where they have spent the majority of their adult lives. This can cause a disruption to their exiting social relationships, and transportation issues may make it difficult to sustain these beyond immediate family.
The setup of residential facilitates, which may have up to 100 older persons across various floors, will be a significant change for many residents who have been living on their own. This necessitates adjustment in how residents view their space and relationships with others. Development of relationships between residents is likely to be beneficial to their well-being and psychological functioning, however it may be difficult for some individuals to adjust to the close proximity of others and the reduction in their personal/private space.
We will use a qualitative approach, combining observation, in-depth interviews and design workshops to explore the social lives of residents in UK residential care homes. These will be used to develop a technological intervention aimed at achieving sustainable improvements in residents social lives.REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
17/IEC08/0018
Date of REC Opinion
19 Apr 2017
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion