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In the residential care sector we have witnessed throughout the previous decades a development from a rather paternalistic approach towards a more democratic way of care giving. In many care organizations, however, residents are still rarely involved in the daily routine. In a participatory study on a somatic care unit in the Netherlands, we examined the challenges around the involvement of residents in the care residence. We organized two homogeneous group sessions, with staff and residents separately; reflected on new ways for involving residents; and concluded with a heterogeneous focus group, bringing staff and residents together. Both staff and residents recognized the importance of resident involvement in daily care. However, the difference in perspective on what this should look like created challenges. We found three dilemmas that made the engagement of residents challenging: autonomy versus dependence, personal experiences versus privacy, and happiness versus honesty. We found different ways staff and residents dealt with these dilemmas in practice and defined them in terms of bottlenecks and opportunities. Attention to these dilemmas, pitfalls, and potentials, promotes mutual understanding and ultimately resident involvement in daily care.SAMENVATTING: In de verpleeghuiszorg zagen we in de afgelopen decennia een ontwikkeling van een overwegend paternalistische aanpak naar een meer democratische manier van zorg verlenen. In veel zorgorganisaties zijn bewoners echter nog nauwelijks betrokken in de dagelijkse routine. In een participatief onderzoek op een somatische zorgafdeling in een grote stad in Nederland, onderzochten we de betrokkenheid van bewoners in het verpleeghuis. We organiseerden twee homogene groepssessies (medewerkers en bewoners afzonderlijk), experimenteerden met en reflecteerden op nieuwe manieren van betrokkenheid en sloten af met een heterogene focusgroep (medewerkers en bewoners samen). Zowel medewerkers als bewoners zagen het belang in van betrokkenheid van bewoners bij de dagelijkse zorg. Het verschil in perspectief op hoe dit er dan uit zou moeten zien, zorgde echter voor uitdagingen. We vonden drie dilemma’s voor de betrokkenheid van bewoners in de intramurale zorg: autonomie versus afhankelijkheid, persoonlijke ervaringen versus privacy en geluksmomenten versus eerlijkheid. We vonden verschillende manieren waarop medewerkers en bewoners in de praktijk met deze dilemma’s omgaan en definieerden deze in termen van knelpunten en kansen. Aandacht voor deze dilemma’s, knelpunten en kansen, bevordert wederzijds begrip en uiteindelijk betrokkenheid van bewoners bij de dagelijkse zorg.

This study investigates whether there are differences in quality of life—i.e., psychosomatic complaints and life satisfaction—between schoolchildren with and without a chronically ill or disabled parent at home. It also examines the role played by the intensity of tasks, life circumstances, and social support at home and school. In 2017, a Dutch representative sample of adolescents aged between 12 and 16 (from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study) completed a questionnaire about illness of family members, tasks at home, life circumstances and characteristics, social support, psychosomatic complaints and life satisfaction. In total, 5470 schoolchildren who did not have a parent with a chronic illness and 652 who did have a parent with a chronic illness were selected (average age 13.9). Stepwise multilevel logistic regression analyses in STATA were used. Schoolchildren with an ill parent had more psychosomatic complaints and lower life satisfaction than their counterparts without an ill parent, even when controlling for extra task hours, specific life circumstances and characteristics (e.g., more likely to be growing up in a single-parent family or stepfamily and more likely to be female), and lower perceived support. These aspects are also predictors of a lower quality of life. Professionals should address these aspects of the life of schoolchildren with a sick parent in such a way that they are facilitated to make a successful transition to adulthood.

Hoewel verschillende studies positieve effecten laten zien van het ophalen van herinneringen voor het sociaal en emotioneel welbevinden op latere leeftijd (onder andere Bohlmeijer e.a., 2007), is maar weinig bekend over hoe ouderen dat dan doen. Inzicht hierin stelt ons in staat hen effectief te ondersteunen in dit proces en zo bij te dragen aan het betekenisvol ouder worden.

Het aantal ouderen met een niet-westerse migratieachtergrond stijgt snel. Hierdoor neemt in deze groep de behoefte aan zorg en ondersteuning toe. Net als bij andere ouderen die zorg nodig hebben, helpen hun kinderen vaak. Dit artikel beschrijft hun kenmerken en ervaringen op basis van kwantitatief onderzoek onder deze groep mantelzorgers.

Inspired by theories from the field of social and emotional aging, we studied the use of ICTs by older adults with cognitive impairments. By means of qualitative interviews (N=30) with older adults with cognitive impairments and their relatives, we got a detailed picture of the role of ICTs in their daily lives. First, our data showed that older adults with cognitive impairments used ICTs to enhance their social and emotional wellbeing. This involved social interaction, feelings of belongingness, and engagement in hobbies and regular daily activities. Second, our research provided insight into the strategies applied when ICT use became too difficult, with a considerable role for the social network. When the network offered help upon request or proactively encouraged the older person, this increased the perception of control. This also applied to the indirect use of ICTs, when someone from the social network operated the devices. Denying the older person the use of ICTs undermined the perception of control. The findings provide insight into how the potential of ICT can be exploited for this target group. We end the paper with practical recommendations.

In this report, we investigate the quality of life of schoolchildren who are living with a longterm sick relative at home, by comparing them with their peers who are not in this situation. We hereby consider young people’s background characteristics (e.g. household affluence, growing up in a single-parent family) and support from their social network (e.g. at home or at school). As regards the care situation, our data do not allow us to distinguish between different types of illnesses of the family member, nor their severity. We devote particular attention to the time spent by schoolchildren performing tasks at home; if schoolchildren with a care situation at home devote extra time to tasks, we regard this as informal care. We assume that the perceived health, psychosomatic complaints, school pressure and life satisfaction of schoolchildren provide an indication of their quality of life.

In this report, we investigate the quality of life of schoolchildren who are living with a longterm sick relative at home, by comparing them with their peers who are not in this situation. We hereby consider young people’s background characteristics (e.g. household affluence, growing up in a single-parent family) and support from their social network (e.g. at home or at school). As regards the care situation, our data do not allow us to distinguish between different types of illnesses of the family member, nor their severity. We devote particular attention to the time spent by schoolchildren performing tasks at home; ifschoolchildren with a care situation at home devote extra time to tasks, we regard this as informal care. We assume that the perceived health, psychosomatic complaints, school pressure and life satisfaction of schoolchildren provide an indication of their quality of life.