Promoting Family/Friend Involvement in Care Planning in Care Homes: A Qualitative Exploration of the Usefulness and Relevance of an Information Resource.

BACKGROUND: The involvement of family/friends in the care planning of an older adult residing in a care home can help to foster person-centred care. This study explored and incorporated family/friends' views on the relevance and usefulness of a draft information resource focusing on care planning to address and support older adults' needs. METHODS: The research team drafted an information resource to help family/friends better understand care planning. The contents of the draft resource were informed by previous research on care planning in older adult care homes, which included a scoping review, a modified Delphi survey and consultations with health and social care professionals. Feedback on the draft resource was collected through remote focus group discussions with family/friends of older adults residing in care homes in England in November 2024. Participants were invited to share their views on the draft information resource and if/how it could be improved. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and the data thematically analysed in NVivo. FINDINGS: The views of 28 family/friends were obtained across four focus group discussions. Three main themes were generated: experiences with care planning, usefulness of the information resource and improving and sharing the information resource. Findings depict a heterogeneity in awareness of, and involvement in, care planning. Most participants perceived the information resource to have the potential to raise awareness of care planning and promote family/friend involvement. Subject to changes, several participants said that they would share the document. Some, largely due its presentation, said they would not. CONCLUSIONS: Most participants believed that an information resource on care planning would be helpful. Future research is required to explore whether the document leads to increased family/friend involvement in care planning. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Two family members with experience of supporting a relative in a care home were involved in devising and revising the different iterations of the information resource and topic guide, and in interpreting findings.