Objects, dementia and risk: An ethnographic study in care homes
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Objects, dementia and risk: An ethnographic study of the perception of risk associated with people with a dementia having certain objects in care homes.
IRAS ID
204615
Contact name
Kellyn Weir
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Southampton
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Moving into a care home can be a difficult transition. It is argued that taking personal possessions can make the process easier, helping people adapt to their new surroundings. However it is common for a person to become ill, be admitted to hospital, and be transferred directly to a care home with family members dealing entirely with their possessions.
Object-person relations were a source of interest for consumer behaviour and social psychology in the 1980s. They found objects to be much more than superficial materialism suggesting they are an extension of the self, can bolster self-esteem and provide a sense of agency, identity and control. More recently object-person relations have resurfaced in areas such as occupational therapy, dementia research, ageing studies and sociological research. Occupational studies found objects can support self-image and assist occupational therapists in understanding the person. Dementia research found objects useful for reminiscence therapy. Ageing studies found that objects were a source of organisation, passing on belongings to others or retaining items. Sociological research found that women in a care home used their handbags to create boundaries for privacy, avoid interactions or provide distractions.
Whilst it is clear that objects can support self-image, facilitate interactions, aid transitions and provide privacy in a public place, research is scarce surrounding how decisions are made about what objects are taken into care homes. Very little is known about what objects are permitted, how they are allowed to be used or whether some are deemed too ‘risky’ in a care setting.
To explore these areas this study will use object-elicitation interviews and participant-observations with people with dementia, care home staff and visiting family members. A model of social citizenship practice will be developed in relation to objects which will provide recommendations to the Care Quality Commission.REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
17/IEC08/0003
Date of REC Opinion
13 Apr 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion