Moral Choices and Responsibilities: The Home-help Service at the Borderland of Care Management When Older People Consider Relocation to a Residential Home

Figures & data

Table 1. Participants in the empirical data.

Municipality A (large), approximately 90,000 habitants	Municipality B (medium), approximately 30,000 habitants	Municipality C (small), approximately 20,000 habitants
7 municipal care workers (including 2 superiors)	6 municipal care workers (including 1 superior)	5 municipal care workers (including 1 superior)	18 municipal care workers
5 private care workers (including 1 superior, 1 founder, 1 coordinator) in company A 3 private care workers (including 1 superior) in company B	3 private care workers (including 1 superior) in company A 4 private care workers (including 2 founders/superiors, 1 coordinator) in company C	No privately provided home-help service in the municipality	15 private care workers in company A, B + C
15	13	5	Total: 33

Table 2. Overview of the findings.

Action (conclusion): Making it work	Action (conclusion): Encouraging reconsideration	Action (conclusion): Promoting change
Prominent norm: Adaptation to the care receivers’ self-determination	Prominent norm: Concern for the care receivers’ self-determination	Prominent norm: Negotiation of the care receivers’ self-determination
Description of a situation: Confirmed the care receivers in their desire to remain in ordinary housing despite a heavy workload Were part of informal promises about life-long home-based care Took measures to reduce anxiety and sadness Investigated different home-based care solutions by involving different occupational groups	Description of a situation: Stressed the importance of listening several times to what the care receivers really wanted Made family members aware of how they formulated their questions to their old relative Conveyed to the family members what their older relative wanted Referred to the importance of keeping the care receivers well-informed about the full range of home-based care	Description of a situation: Emphasised the advantages of residential care for the care receivers Built up a positive image of residential care if the family also promoted relocation  Recommended the care receivers to at least apply for residential care