Building high-quality interpersonal staff-client relationships with people with severe to profound intellectual disabilities and challenging behavior
Insights of professionals and relatives
Een wetenschappelijk artikel in Journal Of Intellectual Disabilities. Dit onderzoek brengt de succesfactoren in kaart van een goede relatie tussen cliënt en zorgprofessional. De relatie tussen cliënt en zorgprofessional heeft invloed op de kwaliteit van de ondersteuning en het leven van mensen met een ernstige verstandelijke beperking en moeilijk verstaanbaar gedrag. Daarbij is het een uitdaging om de relatie op te bouwen vanwege de intense, complexe en variërende ondersteuningsbehoeften van de cliënt.
Abstract: Background: Staff-client relationships impact the quality of support and life of people with severe to profound intellectual disabilities and challenging behavior, but are challenging to build due to clients’ intense, complex and varying support needs. The present study explores the perspectives of professionals and relatives on what affects these interpersonal relationships. Method: 17 professionals and 11 relatives participated in focus groups and interviews. Data collection and analysis was performed in collaboration with a co-researcher. Data were synthesized thematically. Results: Interpersonal relationships constituted equivalence, striving for mutual understanding, trust and exploring clients’ potential. The combination of staff characteristics (enthusiasm/passion, patience, resilience, creativity/humor, flexibility) and expertise (knowledge, vulnerability/sincerity, self-reflection) enabled staff to build these relationships. The importance of involving relatives was addressed. Contextual influences included the team (cooperation, flexibility, culture), organization (cooperation, boundary conditions) and setting (predictability, interior/atmosphere). Conclusions: The findings make practical knowledge explicit and scientifically underpinned for this specific population.
Auteurs: Hermsen, Simons, van Veen, Prudon, Rooijackers, Otten & Koordeman
Jaar: 2024