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Ulla Melin Emilsson

Ulla Melin Emilsson

Researcher

Ulla Melin Emilsson

Stratified structural and epistemic aspects of the care manager's discretion : A theoretical approach to social work related to older people's potential relocation to a residential home

Stratifierade strukturella och epistemiska aspekter av biståndshandläggarnas handlingsutrymme och resonemang—en teoretisk infallsvinkel på det sociala arbetet i samband med äldre personers eventuella flytt till ett särskilt boende

Author

  • Maria Söderberg
  • Agneta Ståhl
  • Ulla Melin Emilsson

Summary, in English

By applying a theoretical point of departure, the overarching aim of this article is to describe, analyze, and try to understand why care managers in their everyday occupational practice normalize the restrictive approach when older people consider relocation to a residential home. While earlier research to a large extent has drawn attention to how the care managers carry out the restrictive approach, this article pays attention to the circumstances paving its way. The focus is on influences from different sociological levels, thereby ‘stratified’, and from two aspects of discretion, where ‘structural aspects’ refer to choices between permitted alternatives and ‘epistemic aspects’ to practical reasoning under conditions of indeterminacy. With this combination, a multitude of circumstances contributing to the restrictive approach is revealed. Thus, the theoretical model includes levels as well as discretionary powers where formulas constitute the foundation at each level, subsequently related to multidisciplinary references in order to get the practice into perspective. The findings show that the priority given to home-based care in contrast to residential care is repeated and confirmed at each level and besides in an interchange between structural and epistemic aspects.

Department/s

  • School of Social Work
  • Transport and Roads

Publishing year

2015

Language

English

Pages

325-339

Publication/Series

European Journal of Social Work

Volume

18

Issue

3

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Routledge

Topic

  • Sociology

Keywords

  • care management
  • institutions/deinstitutionalization
  • older people
  • participation/citizenship

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1369-1457