The impact of power differentials on the care experiences of older people

This study explored the lived experience of a small group of older people living in South East Queensland receiving community-based care while living in their own homes. In-depth unstructured interviews were used in this interpretive hermeneutic phenomenological study to encourage participants to raise experiences that held meaning for them as individuals. Many reported a range of experiences demonstrating active power differentials between themselves as recipients of care and their carers, and impacting on their sense of independence and autonomy. The experiences described provide guidance on how care services might better address the needs of older people, from their own perspective.