• Wai-Yin Alice Lau, Yea-Ing Lotus Shyu, Li-Chan Lin, and Pei-Shan Yang.
• Department of Nursing, Cardinal Tien Hospital, Hsintien, Taipei, Taiwan.
• J Clin Nurs. 2008 Feb 1; 17 (4): 482-90.

Aims And ObjectivesTo explore the process of development of collaborative relationship between family caregivers of institutionalized elders with dementia and nursing home staff in Taiwan.BackgroundEvidence suggests that family members are continuously involved in the lives of loved ones and have not given up their roles as caregivers after the institutionalization of a family member. Little is known, however, about how family caregivers develop a collaborative relationship with nursing home staff, particularly in Asian countries.Design And MethodsGrounded theory methodology was used. Data were collected via interviews and observations from 11 family caregivers of patients who were suffering from dementia and living in an institution for persons with dementia in northern Taiwan. Data were analysed by constant comparative analysis.ResultsFindings revealed that 'institutional social penetration' was the process most used by family caregivers to achieve an harmonious collaborative relationship with the nursing home staff. Institutional social penetration is a dynamic process, which includes three components: self-disclosure, evaluation of care and penetration strategies. Family caregivers, who had developed a 'socially penetrating' relationship with the nursing home staff, were more likely to disclose information in more breadth and depth, to receive positive care evaluations and to adopt multiple effective penetration strategies.ConclusionsInstitutional social penetration between family caregivers and nursing home staff can sensitize healthcare providers to meet the family's needs during the placement of their loved one and provide a basis for developing intervention strategies.Relevance To Clinical PracticeFindings of this study may help healthcare providers to understand the ways in which collaborative relationships develop between the families of elders with dementia and nursing home staff. Interventions can be developed to facilitate self-disclosure of both the family members and nursing home staff through timely feedback and familiarising family caregivers with different penetration strategies.

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