The meaning of nursing-home: ‘Waiting to go up to St. Peter, OK! Waiting house, sad but true’ — An Australian perspective

Abstract: Background: This article is derived from a larger Australian research study using multiple qualitative methods to investigate truth-telling in aged-care. Aim: To analyse and discuss findings associated with residents'', personal care assistants'' (personal carer, enrolled nurse) and the registered nurses'' perceptions about the nursing-home. The thesis is that the health of the resident in a nursing-home is directly linked to care provision that encourages autonomy. Methods: Research participants'' personal journals, group discussions, follow-up in-depth discussions and the author''s field journal across five nursing-homes. Results: The nursing-home is described as endowed with suspicious awareness and mutual pretence, overloaded with tasks, short of staff and starved of time with little engagement with the residents. Discussion: Residency that claims to have as its primary focus ‘the resident’ ought to take seriously the residents'' health and therefore the residents'' autonomy. However, the nursing-home, as described here, fails to adequately understand this link. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]