Experiences of health care personnel in promoting a sense of home in older adults living in residential care settings: a qualitative systematic review protocol.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this review is to evaluate the experiences of health care personnel in promoting a sense of home in older adults living in residential care facilities. INTRODUCTION Moving to a residential care facility represents a critical moment for older adults as it disrupts their life and distances them from significant people and objects in their life. Health care personnel working in residential care facilities can assist in promoting the feeling of being at home for the residents. There is a lack of qualitative evidence reporting the experiences of health care providers with regards to promoting a sense of home in older adults living in residential care settings. INCLUSION CRITERIA This review will consider qualitative studies that explore the experiences of health care personnel in promoting a sense of home in people aged 65 and over living in residential care facilities, including, but not limited to, nursing homes, residential care homes, retirement homes, assisted-living facilities, and skilled nursing facilities. METHODS The review will use a meta-aggregation approach according to the JBI methodology for systematic synthesis of qualitative evidence. MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science databases will be searched together with Google Scholar, OpenGrey, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. Studies published in English, Italian, French, Portuguese, and Spanish will be included. Qualitative study findings will be pooled using the JBI System for the Unified Management, Assessment and Review of information. Methodological study quality will be appraised using the standard JBI critical appraisal checklist for qualitative research. The ConQual approach will be used to assess the confidence in the findings. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER PROSPERO CRD42020214383.