Elderly Well-Being and Alcohol: A Tricky Cocktail

Abstract

This interdisciplinary study is concerned with the well-being of older adults and how this relates to alcohol. Older adults’ use of alcohol in nursing homes is a rising challenge in Western societies, expected to increase in the coming 10–15 years. Alcohol use has consequences that go beyond mere health concerns and stretch into social, personal, and institutionalized life. The present study aims to develop procedures and guidelines for handling alcohol in elderly care, assist in handling value conflicts, ease the work of care workers, and more generally ensure a better quality of life for older adults. The study has four phases: (1) exploration, (2) interpretation in collaboration with practitioners, (3) developing practice-oriented product, and 4) implementation. Phase 1 was conducted in 2018. In this phase, observations were carried out in five care institutions in a Danish Municipality for a total of 25 days. These observations led to the development of interview guides. Based on the interview guides, 31 participants (residents, care workers, relatives and managers) were interviewed for 30–60 min at the five institutions. In Phase 2, data will be analyzed and interpreted by the researchers in collaboration with representatives from the five institutions. Phases 3 and 4 are forthcoming, and the study is scheduled to terminate in 2021.

We are all in it!: Phenomenological Qualitative Research and Embeddedness

“…Pointing to the ineliminable fore-structuredness of human understanding does not directly challenge the methodology or the results of PR. Indeed, we think PR, in it is various incarnations, has produced many significant results, and we have also practiced it ourselves (Klausen et al, 2020). We have no intention to show that it is fundamentally misguided or flawed.…”

Bring me my alcohol!—On the continuum of pleasure and pain

“…(5) Hovergården, a care facility that provides practical assistance for essential routine activities (e.g., dusting, cleaning the toilet and changing the sheets) in private homes (Klausen et al, 2020).…”

“…The present paper discusses the difficulties associated with alcohol use by presenting excerpts of quotes based on qualitative interviews integral to the collaborative project Elderly Wellbeing and Alcohol‐a tricky cocktail (Klausen et al 2020 ), which investigates quality of life among older adults in a Danish municipality. The prime research question addressed by the collaborative project is:…”

“…At the institutional level, the research group included managers at the care homes. The care facilities were included based on their expression of interest and served a representative segment (i.e., socioeconomic background) of older adults in need of care and home care services (Klausen et al, 2020 ).…”

“…The facilities included (1) Bakkegården (Vejle centre), comprising 61 small apartments divided into 5 units for 61 older adults. Bakkegården is a typical full‐time care facility that accommodates older adults who are no longer able to manage their daily living activities for various reasons, including dementia and physical disabilities; (2) Bakkeager (7 km from Vejle centre), a care home consisting of five separate houses, each comprising 10 small apartments; most of its care workers have worked there for a long time; (3) Gulkrog , temporary accommodation for people requiring temporary intensive care (3–6 months) due to hospitalisation, the absence of relatives, the need to recuperate after surgery, or cannot take care of themselves or remain in their homes; (4) Sofiegården , an outbound home care service that includes nurses and care workers who provide personal, home care for older adults; and (5) Hovergården , a care facility that provides practical assistance for essential routine activities (e.g., dusting, cleaning the toilet and changing the sheets) in private homes (Klausen et al, 2020 ).…”