The Clinical Significance and Issues of Religious Involvement in Elderly Nursing Home: Interviews with Careworkers in Special Elderly Nursing Home

ABSTRACT

Purpose: We investigated into the effect of religious involvement in nursing homes on users, facility staff, and families to explore the clinical significance of the religious involvement from the viewpoint of nursing care workers. Method: A questionnaire survey and a semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 nursing care staff at a special nursing home for the elderly. Result: Eight factors such as “extraordinariness” caused five effects such as “positive changes in mental state in everyday situations” for the users. Two factors such as “development of awareness of religion” had two effects such as “changes in personal view of religion” for the care staff. Also, a factor of “caring for the users on their deathbeds” had an effect of the “opportunity of mental care” for the families of the users. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the religious involvement may be beneficial not only to users but also to facility staff and families of the users.