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Observational Study of Quality of Life in NHS Nursing Homes and a Long-stay Ward for the Elderly

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2008

Patricia Clark  and
Ann Bowling
Patricia Clark
Affiliation:
Research Assistant, Department of General Practice and Primary Care, St. Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, Charterhouse Square, London EC1, England.
Ann Bowling
Affiliation:
Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health and Policy, Health Services Research Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1, England (address for correspondence).
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Abstract

An observational study was carried out in order to measure the quality of life of elderly people in two different types of long-stay care (two NHS nursing homes and a hospital ward). This formed part of a wider evaluation study of these two forms of institutional care. Qualitative techniques provided insights into the behaviours, moods, interactions and atmospheres in the settings, which were difficult to measure using traditional survey approaches. The observational study showed that it is.essential not to rely solely on interview material, and assessments of mental and physical functioning, when evaluating long-stay care. Characteristics of ‘total institutions’ clearly emerged from the analyses of the hospital ward, although the inclusion of the hospital patients' Club in the study revealed that these need not be inevitable, and that both the ward and the homes could be improved if modelled on the more autonomous and flexible philosophy of the Club.

Type
Research Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , June 1989 , pp. 123 - 148
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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