Pioneering partnerships: Resident involvement from multiple perspectives.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Community Psychology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Traditional approaches like resident councils often fall short in fostering meaningful resident involvement in care homes.
• The PARTNER approach offers a novel strategy for enhancing resident engagement through collective action.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the process of resident involvement using the PARTNER approach.
• To gain insights from the perspectives of residents, volunteers, and staff.

Main Methods:

• A responsive evaluation methodology was employed.
• Data collection included participant observation, semi-structured interviews (n=16), and three focus groups.

Main Results:

• Key factors for successful involvement included resident-led agenda-setting, cohesive group formation, and shared experiences.
• Residents initiated and implemented social activities like gallery parties and a buddy project.
• Partnerships between residents, volunteers, and professionals were crucial for action development.

Conclusions:

• Collective action around shared topics promotes resident empowerment, social belonging, and learning.
• Developing structural partnerships between residents, volunteers, and staff is a valuable endeavor for residential care homes.