Enhancing autonomy for older people in residential care: what factors affect it?

As the population ages, the expectations of consumers rise and future care provision for older people will demand that autonomy is operationalised in residential care facilities. This paper looks at international publications related to identifying the factors which facilitate or hinder residents autonomy and directs the reader to reflect on their own custom and practice. There are many factors which both facilitate and hinder the level of autonomy which older people experience in residential care. This paper will discuss the three most pertinent factors that are discussed repeatedly in the literature, and they are as follows: the organisations approach to care, person-centred care and life planning.