Communication – relationship – physiotherapy. An interview study about home visits with elderly people

Abstract

Purpose: To obtain an extended understanding of how communication and relationship between patient and physiotherapist mutually influence each other and the performance of physiotherapy during home visits to elderly people. Design: Semi-structured interviews. Material: Six experienced physiotherapists in different municipalities in Norway were interviewed. Method: The authors read the transcribed material thoroughly several times before identifying the entities of meaning. These formed the basis for themes from which subthemes were determined. After further interpretation citations were chosen to enlighten the participants’ voices. Findings: Two main themes each with a subtheme, are presented: «Function as the pivotal» and «Distribution of roles». The home as context is decisive for the physiotherapeutic assessment and planning of treatment. Social norms and rituals affect the meeting between patient and physiotherapist, in that the latter is a guest in the home of the former. Relationship and interaction are integrated parts of professional practice and trust acts as a tool to facilitate and improve the exercising of physiotherapy. Conclusion: The study highlights the interplay between communication, relationship and physiotherapy during home visits with elderly people. By allowing the home as a context to be a significant part of the functional assessment and being aware of the social processes and roles, the physiotherapist can facilitate meaningful rehabilitation.

Keywords

• physiotherapy
• communication
• professional-patient relationship
• home visits
• elderly people