Filling In: Family Member Support for Non-Relative Residents in Long-term Care Homes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Past research about family involvement in long-term care homes mainly focuses on family members' involvement with their own relative, interactions with staff, and collective activities such as Family Councils. Our research provides novel insights into family member's involvement in the care of residents who are not their relatives, an area that has not previously been explored.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This critical ethnographic study examined ways that family members negotiate and navigate their roles within long-term care homes. Data collection and analysis took place at three long-term care homes in British Columbia, Canada between 2014 and 2018. Data were collected through participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Eleven family member participants shared experiences of caring for residents who were not their relatives.

RESULTS: The umbrella theme was 'filling in' which takes place in a care environment that is under-staffed and under-resourced. The sub-themes reflect the various ways that families are 'filling in': responding to resident's needs, supporting staff to respond to resident needs, and filling in for residents' families.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Caring for residents who are not their relatives is facet of family involvement in long-term care homes that has not been previously explored. Many family members have expertise in providing person-centered care and they extend this expertise to residents who are not their relatives. Policies and legislation are needed to formalize family involvement in caring for non-relative residents as it is a component of quality of care for all residents.