Supporting Self-determination of elderly people living in nursing homes amid pandemic: 12-week Participatory Action Research record with care workers

Abstract

This study focuses on efforts for human rights and self-assertive lives of elderly people struggling with long quarantine under the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper aims to explore and analyze what support strategies care workers are carrying out and what barriers exist to help the elderly living in nursing homes make 'self-determination' well. Data were collected from 16 workers at two institutions through an Participatory Action Research(PAR) process consisting of 17 FGI sessions, and the data were analyzed through directed content analysis. This study proposed 7 frameworks of practice. In the last COVID-19 situation, three factors such as ①Internalization of Extrinsic Motivation, ② Understanding Preference & Value, ③Close communication based on trust were smoothly implemented, while strategies such as ④Areas, ⑤Causal Agent, ⑥Providing information and options, ⑦Providing Enough time were not well utilized. Based on the results of the study, we presented the following policy suggestions. First, it is necessary to establish a system that can support the self-determination of the elderly living. Second, a friendly culture and environment should be created so that nursing facilities can work more actively. Also it is emphasized that there is a need for a place to actively discuss the base-line when there is a value that conflicts with self-determination.