title: Perceived enactment of autonomy of nursing home residents: A German cross-sectional study.
abstract: Recognizing the ageing of populations and expected increase in prevalence of dementia, the necessity of research involving persons with dementia is widely agreed upon. Autonomy is key to nursing home residents' well-being and quality of life, but this phenomenon has not been thoroughly assessed from the residents' perspective. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate perceived autonomy of nursing home residents. Data on 560 randomly selected residents in 40 nursing homes in two German federal states were generated by face-to-face interviews, psychological and physical assessments, analysis of nursing records, and acquisition of institutional parameters. This paper reports on a subsample (n = 179) that met screening requirements, including subjects with and without mild cognitive impairment (Mini Mental Status Examination score 30-18), who completed the Hertz Perceived Enactment of Autonomy Scale (HPEAS). The mean score of HPEAS was 101.1 ± 14.5 (range 54-122). In our population, Cronbach's alpha was 0.89. Scores in HPEAS were not related to demographical factors but positively associated with increasing self-efficacy and absence of pain. The novel findings contribute to an understanding of autonomy from the residents' perspective.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Sociology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. ines.wulff@charite.de
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wulff
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Marita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kölzsch
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Sociology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kalinowski
authors.affiliation: Leuphana University Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kopke
authors.affiliation: Evangelische Hochschule Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Reinhold
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kreutz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Sociology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Dagmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dräger
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods; D005858:Germany; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010465:Perception; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011788:Quality of Life; D057566:Self Report