Introduction: Research and healthcare services struggle to fulfil the desires and needs of nursing home residents, and there is a call for person-centredness in both research and healthcare practice. Involvement of people outside academia in research has been advocated in an effort to increase the relevance and impact of research findings for the public. However, little is known on how to involve nursing home residents in research, and the purpose of this study was, therefore, to learn from professional experiences of working with this group. More specifically, the aim of the study was to explore nursing home staff experiences of co-designing nursing home services with the residents.
Method: Focus group methodology was used. A total of 17 nursing home staff members (15 women and two men) from two nursing homes participated in four focus groups. Both homogeneity and heterogeneity were strived for during recruitment.
Results: The analysis is summarised in one theme and five sub-themes, describing the co-design process as an eye-opener for staff in terms of realising their own, as well as the residents', hidden abilities, and the importance of combining personal and professional knowledge of the residents in daily care and services.
Conclusion: The major finding is the contribution of knowledge on how co-designing processes in nursing homes could change the dynamics of the relationships between the people involved, and that this, in turn, could realise the resources and knowledge within each person. What researchers in ageing and health can learn from the present findings is the importance of developing genuine and person-centred relationships with both nursing home residents and staff.
Keywords: Frailty; Health personnel; Long term care; Nursing home; Research; Residential care; User involvement.
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