title: Non-capable residents: is the experience of dependence understood in nursing homes? A qualitative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to describe how dependence was experienced by Spanish nursing home residents with functional limitations.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative phenomenological approach was followed. An initial purposeful sampling of Spanish residents in for-profit nursing homes in the southern area of Madrid was carried out. Theoretical sampling was also implemented in order to gain a more in-depth understanding of dependence. The inclusion criteria for nursing home residents were: aged 60 years old or older, having a functional impairment (Barthel Index <90), and lack of any cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination-Folstein >19) and able to communicate verbally in Spanish. Data were collected using unstructured and semi-structured interviews. The interviews were tape recorded and fully transcribed. Data collection was concluded once theoretical saturation was reached, and the data were analyzed using the Giorgi proposal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 30 residents (15 female and 15 male) with a mean age of 83 years were included. Two main themes that describe the significance of dependence in nursing homes emerged from the data: (i) remaining "capable", with one subtheme named "building the difference", where residents described their own dependence classification of "non-capable" residents; and (ii) "sharing life", with two subthemes named "living together with non-capable residents" and "sharing the environment". Being considered as "non-capable" is labelling the resident forever.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The dependence experience of Spanish nursing home residents might help us gain a deeper insight into their expectations about functional limitations, as well as to understand the change in the relationship between residents considered "non-capable", caregivers and the other residents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Obstetrics, Gynecology, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Domingo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Palacios-Ceña
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gómez-Calero
authors.forename: José Miguel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cachón-Pérez
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brea-Rivero
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gómez-Pérez
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernández-de-las-Peñas
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000592:standards*; D015995:Prevalence; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: dependence; nursing care; nursing homes; qualitative research