Little empirical research is available on residents’ councils (RCs) in care settings for older people. This article analyzes the operation of an RC in an Irish facility, drawing on direct observation of council meetings and interviews with resident participants and staff members. Though some participants benefited from having the opportunity to discuss their views during council meetings, few changes were introduced that affected nonparticipants. The article identified several barriers to the successful operation of the council, including the lack of independence of the council, inadequate skills in group facilitation, staffing shortages, lack of training, and management structures.
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Kane, R.L., & Kane, R.A. ( 2001). What older people want from long-term care, and how they can get it. Health Affairs, 20, 114-127.
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Miles, M.B., & Huberman, A.M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
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Mitchell, P., & Koch, T. ( 1997). An attempt to give nursing home residents a voice in the quality improvement process: The challenge of frailty. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 6, 453-461.
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Wilson, L., & Kirby, N. ( 2005). How resident committees function in low-level residential aged care facilities. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 24, 207-212.
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Yin, R.K. ( 1994). Case study research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
