Tove Harnett
Docent
The use of home care as relational work : outlines for a research programme
Författare
Summary, in English
Purpose
Care has been theorized as a relational practice, but the research has focused on providers rather than users. Older care users have been cast in a passive role, and their relational activities to help with the provision of their care or to support those who provide it are underexplored. The purpose of this study is to develop knowledge about home care use as a form of relational ‘work’.
Methods
The data for the study consists of 34 qualitative interviews with home care users in Sweden and 15 observations of care provision. The data has been coded using thematic analysis.
Results
The analysis identifies two overlapping forms of relational work done by care users in the home care context: care-centred work, where care users work to facilitate care situations that were positive for staff and for the provision of care; and person-centred work, where care users work to foster personal relations by focusing on care staff as unique individuals.
Conclusions
The article proposes a research programme on relational work by care users, prompted by the finding that such efforts seem central for the understanding of eldercare in a variety of contexts.
Care has been theorized as a relational practice, but the research has focused on providers rather than users. Older care users have been cast in a passive role, and their relational activities to help with the provision of their care or to support those who provide it are underexplored. The purpose of this study is to develop knowledge about home care use as a form of relational ‘work’.
Methods
The data for the study consists of 34 qualitative interviews with home care users in Sweden and 15 observations of care provision. The data has been coded using thematic analysis.
Results
The analysis identifies two overlapping forms of relational work done by care users in the home care context: care-centred work, where care users work to facilitate care situations that were positive for staff and for the provision of care; and person-centred work, where care users work to foster personal relations by focusing on care staff as unique individuals.
Conclusions
The article proposes a research programme on relational work by care users, prompted by the finding that such efforts seem central for the understanding of eldercare in a variety of contexts.
Avdelning/ar
- Socialhögskolan
- Äldre och åldrande
- LU profilområde: Proaktivt åldrande
Publiceringsår
2024
Språk
Svenska
Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie
International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being
Volym
19
Avvikelse
1
Dokumenttyp
Artikel i tidskrift
Förlag
Taylor & Francis
Ämne
- Social Work
Aktiv
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt
- ISSN: 1748-2631