Promoting living in dignity and with a sense of well-being among older people living in residential facilities – older people’s perspective

Abstract: The Swedish national fundamental values state that care of older people who are living in residential facilities should ensure that they live in dignity and with a sense of well-being. The overall aim of this licentiate thesis was to study, from older residents’ perspective, the effects of a caregiver intervention intended to put the Swedish national fundamental values into practice and to describe residents’ perceptions of what promotes the values: living in dignity and having a sense of well-being. The licentiate thesis is based on two studies, one using a descriptive design (Study I) and the other a cluster-randomized controlled trial with a pre- and one post-test design (Study II). Data were collected using interviews and questionnaires. The results showed that to promote dignity and well-being, it was important for residents to maintain their independence despite reduced abilities; to feel secure about care/services and certain about receiving assistance when it was needed; to maintain and create social relationships and to have a feeling of being at home (Study I). The intervention, aimed at putting the Swedish national fundamental values into practice, increased the self-reported empowerment, person-centered climate and life satisfaction regarding everyday activities of residents in the intervention group. There were significant interaction effects (differences in change over time between the intervention and control group) for empowerment, person-centered climate and life satisfaction regarding the factor everyday activities (Study II). Several conclusions can be drawn from the studies: In order to experience dignity and a sense of well-being, it was important for residents to maintain their independence, social relationships and their feeling of being at home. A caregiver intervention aimed at putting the Swedish national fundamental values into practice can improve everyday life among older residents. It is important that staff work alongside residents and that staff be given appropriate structural conditions, in the form of time, when putting the Swedish national fundamental values into practice.