A Pictorial Interviewing Method Designed to Effectively Include the Voice of Residents of Care Homes for Older Adults

We report on an ethnographic research method devised to examine the impact of the built environment of care homes on the health and wellbeing of their residents. Care home residents represent some of the most vulnerable people in our communities yet are key stakeholders in the life of residential care homes. We were therefore keen to capture their voices.

There are recognised problems associated with interviewing older adults and other vulnerable groups (Willcocks 1984). Thus, the views and experiences of care home residents remain underrepresented in comparison to the voices of experts such as practitioners, academics and care deliverers (Burstow 2014; O’Dwyer 2013). Their choice-making strategies may be influenced by others (family, service providers) or affected by time and changing circumstances (HillcoatNallétamby 2017). The tendency by care facilities to address management information needs in the guise of resident involvement has also been reported (Baur 2013).

This essay describes the visual method we used to engage residents in conversation. Thevmethod is flexible, a potential co-production method and transferable to different study topics.vIt was also designed for participants with low levels of cognitive decline. The ability of residentsvto not only participate but also offer solutions to problems they identify, was evidenced in thevfindings.

The negative impact of lengthy and academic consenting procedures on the inclusion of vulnerable populations in research, is also briefly described.