Background: Relatives' perceptions of their older loved one's living conditions at residential care facilities are poorly described in interviews. Older persons often find it difficult to make their voices heard and an alternative is to ask a relative who knows the person well to express their views.
Aim: This study aimed to describe relatives' perceptions of residents' life in a municipal care facility for older people with a focus on quality of life and care environment.
Design: A qualitative study design was used. Data were collected through nine interviews with six relatives of older people living in a residential care facility.
Methods: The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using content analysis.
Results: The analysis resulted in three main themes and eight subthemes. The main themes were: Residents' life/quality of life is perceived to be in the hands of the care providers, Residents' disabilities and lack of stimulation are perceived to threaten their quality of life, and The secure climate in the residence is perceived to be coloured by Death's waiting room.
Conclusions: The study emphasizes the importance of cocreating a constructive dependency and to take on the challenge of creating a feeling of at-homeness for each resident. It is important to be aware that what relatives perceive as monotony and passivity may be a problem for some residents, but not for all.
Implications for practice: This study highlights the need to create a powerful partnership between relatives, care providers and residents to enhance the quality of life for residents. Every single meeting is important and makes a difference for the resident. Care providers might need to support relatives to understand that the last phase of life might be about focusing inwardly and reflecting on one's whole life as a way to end it.
Keywords: care environment; municipal residential care; older people; quality of life; relatives.
© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.