Themes Related to Experienced Quality of Care in Nursing Homes From the Resident’s Perspective: A Systematic Literature Review and Thematic Synthesis

Background: The culture change from task-centered care to person- and relationship-centered care has resulted in the resident’s voice gaining importance when assessing experienced quality of care in nursing homes. This review aimed to identify which factors contribute to experienced quality of care in nursing homes worldwide from the resident’s perspective. Method: A systematic literature review and thematic data synthesis were performed. The databases PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycInfo, and Business Source Complete were searched to identify qualitative studies aimed at retrieving factors related to residents’ experienced quality of care in nursing homes. Only studies in which residents themselves were interviewed were included. Results: This literature review included 27 publications covering 14 countries. Thematic analysis revealed three overarching themes related to residents’ care experiences: (a) The nursing home environment consisted of the physical environment and caring environment, (b) individual aspects of living in the nursing home consisted of personhood and coping with change, and (c) social engagement consisted of meaningful relationships and care provision. Discussion: To achieve high experienced quality of care in nursing homes, residents’ care experiences need to be assessed and used in quality management.