Family and Staff Partnerships in Long-Term Care: A Review of the Literature

ABSTRACT Working with the family in aged care to provide the best care possible is consistent g with modern nursing philosophy, which espouses holistic care. The quality and enjoyment of the experience, however, is frequently fraught with problems and challenges for both the family and the staff involved. In residential aged care, ? partnerships are a complex I mix of interactions among the older adult resident, the family, and the caregiving staff. To understand how · family involvement in this I environment can be made I more meaningful, nurses I eed to be cognizant of how amily members experience ie caregiving role and how iey are perceived by ursing home staff and 'esidents. The relevant terature of the past 20 ears is reviewed and key isues central to an mderstanding of "family :are" in the nursing home rom the perspective of the amily, the nursing home esident, and the nursing I iome staff are highlighted in his article.