Interactions and Relationships in Long Term Care: Photography and Narratives by Direct Care Workers

Abstract

The challenge of hiring and retaining well-trained caregivers for the growing numbers of elders in need of care is a global concern. This study was designed to understand the views of direct care workers and included 15 nurse aides and med techs working in an assisted living and special care assisted living community for people with dementia. Each participant was provided with a digital camera and asked to take photographs "to show what caregiving means to you." Analysis is based on group discussions about the full set of photographs created by the direct care workers and individual written and oral narratives about four photographs chosen by each participant. The categories generated from these data represent the direct care workers' perceptions of the approaches to quality caregiving and the relationships involved in doing their jobs well. By focusing on the essential relationships and interactions, rather than primarily on the required care, we can begin to imagine the caregiving experience in terms of a communal rather than an institutional experience. We can then productively turn our focus to the people involved rather than emphasize their roles as providers or recipients of care.

Job Resources as Antecedents of Engagement at Work: Evidence From a Long‐Term Care Setting

“…Consistent with prior research findings on hospital nurses (Jenaro et al, ; Mauno et al, ), colleague support clearly seems to have a significant positive effect on work engagement in the LTC sector as well. The reasons for this are likely to be found in the specific nature of this profession, in which caregivers have been shown to perform best when they are emotionally involved with their wards (Shenk, ). Another factor could also be related to the specific nature of work practices in such settings, in which tasks may be repetitive, and the emotional workload higher than the psychological one (in contrast to acute care nurses) (Jenaro et al, ).…”

“…As previously stated, some dimensions may be more vital in the context of LTC than in other health care settings. For example, the importance in day‐to‐day practice of the relationships with coworkers, residents, and their relatives may be perceived as significantly greater, thereby affecting the social component of engagement, which may transcend the physical component (Shenk, ). Thus, current research results suggest that the LTC sector may represent a particular, interesting context for further investigation.…”