Exploring staff-family conflicts in nursing homes

Litigation against nursing homes in Florida has increased to the point where it jeopardizes the ability of those facilities to care for an increasingly aged population. Industry observers view lawsuits as the ultimate result of unresolved conflicts between family members and nursing home staff regarding the care of elderly relatives. There is powerful evidence that the conflicts could have been averted with increased communication between the families and the nursing homes. Differences in care priorities and poor understanding of each group's perspectives have been implicated in many nursing home conflicts. Strategies designed to promote communication and coordination between caregiver groups may be the most effective mechanism for preventing lawsuits. This dissertation addresses the perceptions of nursing home administrators concerning conflict between staff and families. A descriptive survey design was used and Litwak's Balance Theory of Coordination guided the study. The study explores nursing home administrators' perceptions with regard to (1) the significance of family oriented programs in nursing homes, (2) the dynamics of conflict between staff and family members in nursing homes, (3) the relationship between staffing and conflict between staff and family members and (4) administrators' attitudes toward effective strategies for conflict resolution.