Older persons' expressions of emotional cues and concerns during home care visits. Application of the Verona coding definitions of emotional sequences (VR-CoDES) in home care.
This study aims to a) explore to what extent older persons express emotional cues and concerns during home care visits; b) describe what cues and concerns these older persons expressed, and c) explore who initiated these cues and concerns.



A descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted. Data consisted of 188 audio recorded home care visits with older persons and registered nurses or nurse assistants, coded with the Verona coding definitions on emotional sequences (VR-CoDES).



Emotional expressions of cues and concerns occurred in 95 (51%) of the 188 recorded home care visits. Most frequent were implicit expressions of cues (n=292) rather than explicit concerns (n=24). Utterances with hints to hidden concerns (63,9%, n=202) were most prevalent, followed by vague or unspecific expressions of emotional worries (15,8%, n=50). Most of these were elicited by the nursing staff (63%, n=200).



Emotional needs expressed by the older persons receiving home care were mainly communicated implicitly. To be attentive to such vaguely expressed emotions may demand nursing staff to be sensitive and open.



The VR-CoDES can be applied on audio recorded home care visits to analyse verbal and emotional communication, and may allow comparative research.
Faculty of Caring Science, Work Life and Social Welfare, University of Borås, SE-50190 Borås, Sweden. Electronic address: annelie.sundler@hb.se.
Annelie J
AJ
Sundler
School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Postbox 883, SE-72123 Västerås, Sweden. Electronic address: jessica.hoglander@mdh.se.
Jessica
J
Höglander
School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Postbox 883, SE-72123 Västerås, Sweden. Electronic address: jakob.eklund@mdh.se.
Jakob Håkansson
JH
Eklund
Faculty of Health Sciences, University College of Southeast Norway, Postbox 7053, N-3007 Drammen, Norway,. Electronic address: hilde.eide@hbv.no.
Hilde
H
Eide
School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Postbox 883, SE-72123 Västerås, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden. Electronic address: inger.holmstrom@mdh.se.
Inger K
IK
Holmström
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D059019:Clinical Coding; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003463:Cues; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006792:House Calls; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Concern; Cue; Home care; Nursing; Patient-provider communication