Research Proposal To Determine How Elderly People Perceive Their Situation In Retirement Homes (Research Proposal Sample)

RESEARCH PROPOSAL
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Research Proposal to determine how elderly people perceive their situation in retirement homes
Abstract
This research proposal is more of an observational study that seeks to analyze how the elderly perceive the quality of care they receive while they are in retirement homes. Thus, the research question for this research proposal is “How do the elderly view and critic the quality of the services they receive as they reside in retirement homes?” On a different note, one of the objectives of the proposal is to carry out an assessment of the quality of care that the elderly is accustomed to while they are in retirement homes. Moreover, the study seeks to analyze the quality of care by comparing the quality of the attention in the retirement homes to that which the elderly receive if they reside from their homes. Grounded theory will be used to guide the process of designing the qualitative study that is to be carried out by the research to address the research question. 20 persons aged over 65 years are the ones that participate in the study. They do not have cognitive impairment and in so doing help in the determination of how the elderly perceive the quality of services in retirement homes. The setting for the research is primary care for four nursing homes. To carry out the controlled observational study, participants were elderly individuals who were aged ⩾65 years. On the same note, the participants are divided into two groups that are those who are residents in retirement homes who are 172 in total, and those that live at home who are 526 in number. After the research is carried out, the outcome will be measured in that clinical care will be assessed alongside explicit standards that exist. The quality indicators that set explicit standards are derived from the national sources as well as be supportive of the sentiments by practitioners.
Introduction
To carry out research to determine or rather assess the quality of care that the elderly receive while in retirement homes involve analysis of the quality of medical care. With age, there are many health complications that the old are accustomed to and the effect of these complications is that their lives are at risk to the complexities (Carlson et al., 2014, p.762). Quality medical care is adamant if the elderly are to live longer and comfortably. There has been an uproar over the quality of these services in the retirement homes. Over the years, from the 1980s, the number of old people above 65 years living in a retirement home has increased significantly (Carlson et al., 2014, p.764). On the contrary, concern has risen over the inability of NHS beds to accommodate the elderly in these retirement homes as well as medical care by general practitioners (Carlson et al., 2014, p.766). Thus, they perceive the quality of care they receive from retirement homes as of good quality as compared to the same concern when they are in their residential homes.
Literature Review
There has been concern over some challenges that the elderly are susceptible to while in the retirement homes (Rodríguez-Martín et al., 2013, p.65). Some of the shortcomings that are associated with residential dwellings are that there is the risk of excessive prescribing of drugs. Moreover, the elderly are likely to be offered inappropriate drugs especially neuroleptic drugs that are commonly given even when they are seemingly not useful (Nikmat et al., 2015, p.117). Under-prescribing is another risk that is likely to be experienced by the elderly while they are in the retirement homes (Rodríguez-Martín et al., 2013, p.65). Some of these drugs that are offered in low dosage than what is required might be beneficial to these individuals and under-prescribing the drugs put the lives of the old people at jeopardy (Rodríguez-Martín et al., 2013, p.65). The medical care that this research refers to is the clinical care which the elderly benefit from.
Nursing homes also referred to as retirement homes, are now offering the residence for the elderly who are unable to reside house or are unwilling to occupy home. With the increase in the number of these homes, there is the need to improve the quality of care that is given to the elderly leading to the formation of a set of standards that meet the expectations and the perceptions of the old.
They perceive retirement homes as safe havens where they can reside in peace considering that their safety is guaranteed (Fahey et al., 2003, p.580). In addition to the above, they see retirement homes as person-centered institutions which focus on their needs by paying attention to what they want and delivering different services to suit their wellbeing. They also consider nursing homes to have the necessary resources that are relevant for enhanced care (Fahey et al., 2003, p.580). The same resources are not present at home, and those that are at home are not of the same good quality as those that are present in retirement homes. For that reason, people aged above 65 years prefer to reside in retirement homes as compared to residing from home. Lastly, the residential homes are not well structured to accommodate their needs while the retirement homes are well structured to provide their different needs (Fahey et al., 2003, p.580).
Methodology
In-depth interviews will be used as well as grounded theory dimensional analysis. These two aspects of qualitative research will be used so that data can be collected and analyzed during the study. With the help of inductive method, a theoretical explanation will be developed that will guide analysis of the way the participants conceptualize quality of care. The participants that are to take part in the research will be 20 in total. Ten of the participants will be men while the remaining ten will be ten as well. A balance of gender is to ensure that the findings that are to be made by the research are not biased and at the same time to make the findings and results more reliable. The 20 participants will be subjected to the in-depth interviews. All the participants live in a retirement home. The variables for the study will be age, that will range from 65 years up to 75 years. Marital status of the participants, the educational level of the participants, as well as date of admission to the retirement home.
Interviews will be held by a group of four individuals who will set up their stations at the retirement home. Everyone, in the research team, will interview five participants and the time limit for each interview will be ten minutes.
Sample list of interview questions and topics


Background and experience at nursing home

Date of admission?


Prior impression of nursing homes?


Experience in and current assessment of nursing home?

Perceptions and preferences

Delivered care?


Nursing home staff?


Nursing home facilities?