Enhancing Relationships in Long-Term Care: Through Story Sharing

Relationships between staff and residents in long-term care (LTC) are foundational to quality of life and high standards of care. Although nurse aides (NAs) provide more than 80% of personal care to nursing home residents, little research has focused on the NA-resident relationship or how NAs come to know and connect with their residents. This interpretive phenomenological study explored how a Story Sharing intervention initiates and enhances this relationship. Following the Story Sharing intervention, 84 volunteer NAs and 54 residents in six nursing homes were interviewed over a 6-month period. Analysis of these interviews revealed 9 patterns and 25 themes that describe how NAs and residents interact every day, along with innovative NA best practices. One theme, exemplifying a best practice, Restoring the Reciprocity of Care, is given. The findings have been incorporated into an extended Story Sharing Program for all LTC staff.