How do clients and (In)formal caregivers experience quality of home care? A qualitative approach

Aim: To explore and understand the views of clients and formal and informal caregivers about the experienced quality of home care for older people.

Design: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted using individual interviews.

Methods: Six home care clients, four formal and six informal caregivers were recruited from two Dutch home care organizations. Individual, semi-structured interviews took place between April - November 2018. The INDividually EXperienced QUAlity of Long-term care framework was used to guide data collection and content analyses.

Results: The analyses revealed several important attributes contributing to experienced quality of home care such as a preferred small number of caregivers, perceived sufficient time for care provision and a caring atmosphere facilitating open communication and humour. Participants indicated that care routines fitting with the care receiver's former way of living were important. A more 'close' personal care relationship related to trust, openness and empathy was preferred over a more 'detached' professional care relationship.

Conclusion: This study identified a wide range of attributes related to experienced quality of care from the perspectives of clients and formal and informal caregivers in home care.

Impact: Care providers are being challenged to structurally assess individual experienced quality of home care. This study underlines the importance of incorporating care preferences and experiences throughout the care process from a relationship-centred care approach. Relevant care measures and outcomes should be determined to gain insight and further improve individual care provision.