About the project

The purpose of the project is to explore the nursing home employees’ experiences of participation in a new psychosocial intervention in municipal health services for older persons. Psychosocial care requires that caregivers can support an elderly person as a unique person with different biomedical, psychosocial, spiritual and existential needs. Professional caregivers’ competence in supporting older persons psychosocial needs is crucial in preventing functional loss and increasing or maintaining the quality of life. The International Caregiver Development Program (ICDP) is an empathy-focused, group-based, interdisciplinary, preventive, cross-cultural, diagnose unspecific, competence building program in psychosocial care of older persons. The aim of ICDP is to support caregivers in the development of a sensitive and conscious approach to psychosocial needs and to support older persons mastery. The project started with 20 employees from three different nursing homes participating in a facilitator training to carry out ICDP-groups their nursing home. 50 of a total of 80-100 participants were asked to participate in focus group interviews, participatory observations in addition to share written experiences. The main research question is designed to use qualitative research methods to investigate employees' experiences from a new learning arena in elderly care: What significance can the International Caregiver Development Program (ICDP) have for the development of psychosocial care in nursing homes? The research questions will be directed at nursing home staff's experiences of participating in ICDP groups focusing on 1 psychosocial care and interaction with residents 2) staff and colleagues 3) group leaders' experiences of implementing ICDP groups in nursing homes.

Background

Master of Mental Health - Inland Norway University / University of South-Eastern Norway