Physical and social environments typical of residential care settings for older people in Malaysia.

Chee, Kwan Foong and Swarbrick, Caroline and Milligan, Christine and Reilly, Siobhan (2022) Physical and social environments typical of residential care settings for older people in Malaysia. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

The rapid growth in the ageing population has led to a rise in the numbers of older people relocating from the domestic home to institutional care homes. The growing demand for residential care homes (RCHs) in Malaysia is occurring at a time when lack of understanding about the quality of the care environment is evident. The conditions in which older people live in Malaysia RCHs is questionable. The present study aims to investigate residential care across a range of settings in Malaysia, including the public, private and Non-Government Organisation (NGO) sectors. The objectives are to: (1) gain an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the care environment in Malaysian RCHs from the perspectives of older people and staff/care workers; (2) Identify factors (both physical and social) contributing positively to a good care environment. The study progressed in two phases: Phase 1 involved a cross-sectional survey to gain a better understanding of the wider context of RCHs in Malaysia. Phase 2 involved case studies of three RCHs to gain an in-depth understanding of their social and physical environments, using observations, in-depth semi-structure interviews, and documentary analyses. Drawing on ethnographic data from three case study care homes, the thesis provides an in-depth understanding of older residents’ experiences of their social and physical environments and reveals how cultural norms and expectations of older residents can play a significant role in shaping their experiences of care home settings in Malaysia. Research indicates that government guidelines for RCHs in Malaysia should acknowledge the significance of such norms and expectations. The findings of this study will contribute to and enhance current RCH guidelines. The findings of this study will contribute to and enhance current RCH guidelines, thereby improving the experiences and sense of wellbeing of older residents living in RCHs. Keywords: older people, residential care homes, wellbeing, physical and social environments.