“There's No Place Like Home”: A Scoping Review on the Impact of Homelike Residential Care Models on Resident-, Family-, and Staff-Related Outcomes

Background There is increasing emphasis on promoting “homelike” residential care models enabling care-dependent people to continue living in a self-determined manner. Yet, little is known about the outcomes of homelike residential care models. Purpose We aimed to (1) identify homelike residential care models for older care-dependent people with and without dementia, and (2) explore the impact of these models on resident-, family-, and staff-related outcomes. Design and Methods We applied a scoping review method and conducted a comprehensive literature search in PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL in May 2015. Results We included 14 studies, reported in 21 articles. Studies were conducted between 1994 and 2014, most using a quasi-experimental design and comparing the Eden Alternative (n = 5), nondementia-specific small houses (eg Green House homes) (n = 2), and dementia-specific small houses (n = 7) with usual care in traditional nursing homes. The studies revealed evidence of benefit related to physical functioning of residents living in dementia-specific small houses and satisfaction with care of residents living in nondementia-specific small houses compared with those living in traditional nursing homes. We did not find other significant benefits related to physical and psychosocial outcomes of residents, or in family- and staff-related outcomes. Implications The current evidence on homelike residential care models is limited. Comparative-effectiveness research building on a clear theoretical framework and/or logic model and including a standardized set of resident-, family-, and staff-related outcomes, as well as cost evaluation, is needed to provide a stronger evidence base to justify the uptake of more homelike residential care models.