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Theme 1: The Personal
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Chapter 5 Findings
This theme generated from the findings describes autonomy in many domains.
“Personal” is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “belonging to or
affecting a particular person rather than anyone else.” The analysis of the data
revealed that this theme consisted of three sub-themes: The Person, The
Personality and Person to Person. These will be described individually.
Sub-theme 1a: The Person: “You are being so hands on for them and there
was no need”
There are many “persons” in residential care. These include residents, staff and
family persons. The resident person’s capacity was considered to be a factor in
whether or not they experienced autonomy, and it was suggested that capacity is
enhanced when it is encouraged and maintained by staff persons. Staff spoke
about the need to know the residents’ abilities and about the difficulties they
experience in negotiating and sharing control with residents. Staff talked a lot
about a person’s independence and dependence in relation to their capacity, and
residents spoke about relying on staff to help them. Staff participants talked
about trying to encourage resident capacity by not doing things for residents that
they can do for themselves, whilst some resident participants expressed a lack of
confidence in their own abilities. This sub-theme is complex as it describes how
a resident person’s capacity is often diminished or not encouraged, even though
this negates their personal human rights, i.e. the right to self-determination and
the right to make decisions. While staff were aware of these rights they also
struggled with facilitating them, e.g. providing choice.
Staff participants described residents’ abilities/capacity and their desire to
encourage them to maintain their abilities:
“If they can function at all, to promote whatever functions they
have”
(S13)
“I always say we’re here to encourage independence not
dependence”
(S14)