The Impact of Living in a Care Home on the Health and Wellbeing of Spinal Cord Injured People
In the UK, 20% of people with spinal cord injury (SCI) are discharged from rehabilitation into an elderly care home. Despite this, and knowledge that the home is central to health and wellbeing, little research has examined the impact of being in care homes on the health and wellbeing of people with...
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doaj-b93cdf240470407d851e41d6bd0e7f452020-11-24T23:58:10ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1660-46012015-04-011244185420210.3390/ijerph120404185ijerph120404185The Impact of Living in a Care Home on the Health and Wellbeing of Spinal Cord Injured PeopleBrett Smith0Nick Caddick1Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leciestershire, LE11 3TU, UKPeter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leciestershire, LE11 3TU, UKIn the UK, 20% of people with spinal cord injury (SCI) are discharged from rehabilitation into an elderly care home. Despite this, and knowledge that the home is central to health and wellbeing, little research has examined the impact of being in care homes on the health and wellbeing of people with SCI. The purpose of this study was to address this gap. Twenty adults who lived in care homes or had done so recently for over two years were interviewed in-depth. Qualitative data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Analyses revealed that living in a care home environment severely damages quality of life, physical health and psychological wellbeing in the short and long-term. Reasons why quality of life, health, and wellbeing were damaged are identified. These included a lack of freedom, control, and flexibility, inability to participate in community life, inability to sustain relationships, safety problems, restricted participation in work and leisure time physical activity, lack of meaning, self-expression, and a future, loneliness, difficulties with the re-housing process, depression, and suicidal thoughts and actions. It is concluded that for people with SCI, the care home environment violates social dignity, is oppressive, and denies human rights. Implications for housing and health care policies are also offered.http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/12/4/4185spinal cord injurycare homequality of lifehealthwellbeing |
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DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Brett Smith Nick Caddick |
spellingShingle |
Brett Smith Nick Caddick The Impact of Living in a Care Home on the Health and Wellbeing of Spinal Cord Injured People International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health spinal cord injury care home quality of life health wellbeing |
author_facet |
Brett Smith Nick Caddick |
author_sort |
Brett Smith |
title |
The Impact of Living in a Care Home on the Health and Wellbeing of Spinal Cord Injured People |
title_short |
The Impact of Living in a Care Home on the Health and Wellbeing of Spinal Cord Injured People |
title_full |
The Impact of Living in a Care Home on the Health and Wellbeing of Spinal Cord Injured People |
title_fullStr |
The Impact of Living in a Care Home on the Health and Wellbeing of Spinal Cord Injured People |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Impact of Living in a Care Home on the Health and Wellbeing of Spinal Cord Injured People |
title_sort |
impact of living in a care home on the health and wellbeing of spinal cord injured people |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
issn |
1660-4601 |
publishDate |
2015-04-01 |
description |
In the UK, 20% of people with spinal cord injury (SCI) are discharged from rehabilitation into an elderly care home. Despite this, and knowledge that the home is central to health and wellbeing, little research has examined the impact of being in care homes on the health and wellbeing of people with SCI. The purpose of this study was to address this gap. Twenty adults who lived in care homes or had done so recently for over two years were interviewed in-depth. Qualitative data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Analyses revealed that living in a care home environment severely damages quality of life, physical health and psychological wellbeing in the short and long-term. Reasons why quality of life, health, and wellbeing were damaged are identified. These included a lack of freedom, control, and flexibility, inability to participate in community life, inability to sustain relationships, safety problems, restricted participation in work and leisure time physical activity, lack of meaning, self-expression, and a future, loneliness, difficulties with the re-housing process, depression, and suicidal thoughts and actions. It is concluded that for people with SCI, the care home environment violates social dignity, is oppressive, and denies human rights. Implications for housing and health care policies are also offered. |
topic |
spinal cord injury care home quality of life health wellbeing |
url |
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/12/4/4185 |
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