title: Perspective of family caregivers on self-care independence among older people living in long-term care facilities: a qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Long-term care facilities have difficulty facilitating elders' independent self-care. Promoting self-care independence among residents of long-term care facilities cannot be ignored and needs to be further understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate how family caregivers' perceived building self-care independence among elders living in long-term care facilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study used a qualitative descriptive approach. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews with 44 elders' family caregivers.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data was collected from family caregivers of elders living in long-term care facilities in southern Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eligibility criteria for family-caregivers were: (1) residents' family members living in community settings, (2) able to speak Mandarin or Taiwanese, (3) willing to be tape-recorded during interviews, and (4) aged 18 and over.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The findings showed that three interrelated factors promoted self-care independence among residents in long-term care facilities. They included: (1) family members' attitudes/behaviors and concerns, (2) residents' characteristics and attitudes, and (3) staff's attitudes/behaviors. Hence, to promote elders' self-care independence, family caregivers indicated that staff, family caregivers and elders should work together. This included: setting goals, building trustful relationships between staff and family caregivers, and routinely reporting the elder's condition to families.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provided important information that, elders, family members, and staff caregivers of long-term care facilities should build a partnership and set a mutual goal, to improve self-care performance among residents in long-term care facilities.
authors.affiliation: National Tainan Institute of Nursing, Department of Eldercare, Taiwan. suhsian@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Su-Hsien
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Ching-Len
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012648:Self Care; D000078329:Workforce