干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

A nursing oasis (NO) can be understood as a version of special care units. The focus is on a constantly living arrangement for people with severe dementia in nursing homes (multiple person room). Nurses are permanently present during the day shift. The question has to be raised which characteristics of quality of life (QoL) are mentioned and how nurses and relatives do assess this concept. Qualitative Results of a two-year evaluation study of 15 people living in NOs are presented. Data were collected during four (five) group discussions with 8 nurses (15 relatives). Additionally problem-based interviews were realized. Data evaluation was oriented to the grounded theory. The findings show that primarily the focus of QoL in NOs was on psychophysical well-being. Assessments of relatives and nurses were prevailing positive and could be interpreted in the light of the Festingers’ social-psychological "Theory of Cognitive Dissonance". Comparisons between the situation before and after the implementation of the NOs were shown to be relevant for the overall assessments. All in all we have to deal with the construction of "care worlds of everyday life" in long term care institutions.