"I get along with most of them": direct care workers' relationships with residents' families in assisted living.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this article was to explore staff-family relationships in assisted living facilities (ALFs) as they are experienced by care staff and perceived by administrators. We identify factors that influence relationships and explore how interactions with residents' families affect care staff's caregiving experiences.


METHODS
The data are drawn from a statewide study involving 45 ALFs in Georgia. Using grounded theory methods, we analyze qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 41 care staff and 43 administrators, and survey data from 370 care staff.


RESULTS
Care workers characterized their relationships with most family members as "good" or "pretty good" and aspired to develop relationships that offered personal and professional affirmation. The presence or absence of affirmation was central to understanding how these relationships influenced care staffs' on-the-job experiences. Community, facility, and individual factors influenced the development of relationships and corresponding experiences. Insofar as interactions with family members were rewarding or frustrating, relationships exerted positive or negative influences on workers' caregiving experiences.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings suggest the need to create environments -- through policy and practice -- where both parties are empathetic of one another and view themselves as partners. Doing so would have positive outcomes for care workers, family members, and residents.
The Gerontology Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30306-3984, USA. ckemp@gsu.edu
Candace L
CL
Kemp
Mary M
MM
Ball
Molly M
MM
Perkins
Carole
C
Hollingsworth
Michael J
MJ
Lepore
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D040561:Assisted Living Facilities; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D055815:Young Adult