Architectural space as a moulding factor of care practices and resident privacy in assisted living

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article presents an analysis of privacy, care practices and architectural space in assisted living in Sweden. The presented research is a qualitative case study. Observations and personal interviews with staff as well as residents were the major data collection methods. The analysis revealed the evasiveness of a private–public dichotomy; that is, how privacy appears in public spaces and how private spaces became public under certain conditions. During the course of a day, the residents' privacy was qualified and structured by caring activities that took place in various spaces and that associated with variable distance or closeness to the staff. The study shows that individualised care practices improved privacy for the resident, and that although architectural features constrained the staff, they used a number of spatial strategies to promote the residents' privacy, for instance, in the dining room at meal times or when residents were subject to intimate care in their private rooms. Access and control are dimensions of privacy that are relevant to assisted living. The residents had more control of access to their private rooms than control of their personal space in public areas. Individualised care strengthened the residents' agency. Staff supported the residents to lead a private life in the assisted-living facility.