Facilitating Change, the Decision-maker’s Views of Municipality Organized Food Distribution to Elderly People Living at Home and Suggestions for Development – A Participatory Action Research Study
Peer reviewed, Journal article
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Date
2012-10-08Metadata
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Abstract
This study is the final part of a larger project with an
action research approach focusing on food distribution (FD)
within municipal service and care for elderly persons, living at home (
≥
65 years), from various perspectives. The
aim was to describe the decision-makers’ the politicians and top level administrative manager’s views on the FD
service, and to give feedback from the results of earlier studies based on information given by FD receivers, the
perspectives of involved professionals, and the results of an intervention study and further to report the
decision-makers suggestions for which areas should be take
n into consideration as starting points to improve the
FD process and practice. Data was gathered in two steps:
step 1, through individual interviews (n=12) with the
decision-makers during
the spring of 2009, step 2a th
rough feedback from
previous studies, received during the
autumn of 2011 and step 2b from discussions based on
the feedback. The interview data was analysed using
qualitative content analysis. The findings indicated a discrepancy between the reality and the political visions. It
was shown that decision-maker’s needed to make decision
s despite their uncertain knowledge of the complexity of
the FD programme
.
They considered what has been, what is, and will be, when setting goals. Their goal was that
elderly person’s rights and needs should be fulfilled. This included freedom of choice and individual consideration.
In addition, it meant, meeting elderly people’s medical
and social needs. Three areas were found to require
facilitation for change related to FD: 1) the monitoring of the elderly’s health and wellbeing while providing FD, 2)
the increasing of professional competen
ce, and 3) the creation of a forum for inter-professional communication.
The findings in this study have implications for nursing, gerontology and public administration.