AUTHOR=Dixon Carol-Ann , Roos Vera , Katjene Matthews , Hoffman Jaco 

TITLE=Effective Relationships Between Younger Caregivers and Older Care Recipients Across a Continuum of Formal Residential Care Settings: A Scoping Review and a Critical Analysis

JOURNAL=Public Health Reviews

VOLUME=45

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/public-health-reviews/articles/10.3389/phrs.2024.1606562

DOI=10.3389/phrs.2024.1606562

ISSN=2107-6952

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objective:</bold> This article aims to conduct a scoping review of what constitutes effective relational interactions between caregivers (CGs) and older persons (OPs) across formal residential care settings.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> A scoping review of publications between January 2000 and December 2021 yielded 10,929 articles, and after removing duplicates and applying exclusion criteria, 36 articles were analysed.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Articles were scrutinised for interactions involving both CGs and OPs, using a thematic framework analysis to identify effective relational constructs. Four themes emerged: 1) Diverse perspectives on the same context: for OPs it is home, and for CGs, workplace. 2) CGs move for a one-up position and OPs submit to a one-down, or as friends. 3) Relational qualities have been mostly associated with CGs, confirming care as a unidirectional action 4). Relationships between CGs and OPs result either in effective or ineffective care outcomes.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> The dual meanings attached to the same context limit the authentic interactions between CGs and OPs. We propose a relational caregiving approach by considering the interactions of both CGs and OPs, changing the relational definition, and demonstrating effective relational qualities.</p>