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Personal care assistants' experiences of caring for people on home mechanical ventilation

Israelsson-Skogsberg, Åsa LU and Lindahl, Berit LU (2017) In Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences 31(1). p.27-36
Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to describe personal care assistants' (PCA) experiences of working with a ventilator-assisted person at home. Methods: Data were collected from fifteen audiotaped semistructured interviews with PCAs supporting a child or adult using home mechanical ventilation (HMV). Thirteen women and two men participated; their working experience with HMV users ranged from one to 17 years (median 6 years). Data were subjected to qualitative content analysis in an inductive and interpretive manner. Findings: Five categories emerged from the data: Being part of a complex work situation; Taking on a multidimensional responsibility; Caring carried out in someone's home; Creating boundaries in an environment with indistinct... (More)

Aim: The aim of this study was to describe personal care assistants' (PCA) experiences of working with a ventilator-assisted person at home. Methods: Data were collected from fifteen audiotaped semistructured interviews with PCAs supporting a child or adult using home mechanical ventilation (HMV). Thirteen women and two men participated; their working experience with HMV users ranged from one to 17 years (median 6 years). Data were subjected to qualitative content analysis in an inductive and interpretive manner. Findings: Five categories emerged from the data: Being part of a complex work situation; Taking on a multidimensional responsibility; Caring carried out in someone's home; Creating boundaries in an environment with indistinct limits; and Being close to another's body and soul. Conclusions: The participants felt very close to the person they worked with, both physically and emotionally. They had a great responsibility and therefore a commensurate need for support, guidance and a well-functioning organisation around the HMV user. There is international consensus that advanced home care will continue to expand and personal care assistance is key in this development. We suggest that one way to move forward for PCAs working with HMV users is to create multiprofessional teams led by a key-person who coordinates the individual needs. More research is needed within this area from a broad perspective including the HMV-assisted persons, relatives, personal care assistants and management organisations.

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author
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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
assistive technology, home health aides, home health care, qualitative studies, ventilator care
in
Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences
volume
31
issue
1
pages
27 - 36
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85014024192
  • pmid:27126367
ISSN
0283-9318
DOI
10.1111/scs.12326
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
cb52123a-be09-4f0e-8766-07867a0f00fb
date added to LUP
2020-04-01 16:52:11
date last changed
2024-07-10 13:58:57
@article{cb52123a-be09-4f0e-8766-07867a0f00fb,
  abstract     = {{<p>Aim: The aim of this study was to describe personal care assistants' (PCA) experiences of working with a ventilator-assisted person at home. Methods: Data were collected from fifteen audiotaped semistructured interviews with PCAs supporting a child or adult using home mechanical ventilation (HMV). Thirteen women and two men participated; their working experience with HMV users ranged from one to 17 years (median 6 years). Data were subjected to qualitative content analysis in an inductive and interpretive manner. Findings: Five categories emerged from the data: Being part of a complex work situation; Taking on a multidimensional responsibility; Caring carried out in someone's home; Creating boundaries in an environment with indistinct limits; and Being close to another's body and soul. Conclusions: The participants felt very close to the person they worked with, both physically and emotionally. They had a great responsibility and therefore a commensurate need for support, guidance and a well-functioning organisation around the HMV user. There is international consensus that advanced home care will continue to expand and personal care assistance is key in this development. We suggest that one way to move forward for PCAs working with HMV users is to create multiprofessional teams led by a key-person who coordinates the individual needs. More research is needed within this area from a broad perspective including the HMV-assisted persons, relatives, personal care assistants and management organisations.</p>}},
  author       = {{Israelsson-Skogsberg, Åsa and Lindahl, Berit}},
  issn         = {{0283-9318}},
  keywords     = {{assistive technology; home health aides; home health care; qualitative studies; ventilator care}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{27--36}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences}},
  title        = {{Personal care assistants' experiences of caring for people on home mechanical ventilation}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/scs.12326}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/scs.12326}},
  volume       = {{31}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}