Facilitators and barriers to self-management of nursing home residents: perspectives of health-care professionals in Korean nursing homes

Abstract

Purpose

To explore facilitators and barriers to self-management from the viewpoint of staff taking care of nursing home (NH) residents with chronic diseases in South Korea.

Patients and methods

A qualitative content analysis was done using the focus group interview method. A total of 23 health-care professionals (16 registered nurses and 7 social workers) were interviewed from three urban NHs, each with more than 100 beds.

Results

Five facilitators were identified: grouping the residents; the resident’s awareness of his/her current health status; the willingness of residents to engage in self-management; residence in the facility; and support from the staff. Additionally, seven barriers were identified: deterioration of the resident’s health; the dependency expectations of the resident; hesitation in asking for help; difference in expectations between the staff and the resident’s family; insufficient staffing and time; lack of standardized guidelines; and conservative tendencies of the staff due to rigid policies.

Conclusion

The findings of this study can help health-care professionals recognize the factors that influence self-management and provide direction for registered nurses and other health professionals involved in supporting self-management programs for NH residents.

Keywords:

• self-management
• aged
• focus groups
• long-term care

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST), (grant number 2013R1A1A3A04008055).

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.