‘Braiding strings’: A qualitative interview study with relatives of older people discharged after an acute admission

Older people’s relatives’ negotiation power potentially influences their access to quality care and treatment after acute hospitalisation. This study aimed to analyse relatives’ purposes and strategies for negotiating with healthcare professionals (HCPs) after older people’s acute hospital admission. Eighteen relatives of older people who were discharged after acute hospital admission in Denmark were interviewed. Qualitative content analysis guided the analysis. We used COREQ as a reporting guideline. Three themes emerged from the analysis: (a) Braiding strings to make a cord, (b) Struggling for responsibility placement, and (c) A twofold agenda. The overall purpose for relatives’ negotiations with HCPs appeared to be a desire to ensure coherence in the older person's life. The strategy relatives used was negotiating the division of responsibility between relatives and HCPs. Relatives’ negotiations proceeded according to a twofold agenda. In the light of the ideas of French philosopher and sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, we conclude that relatives’ negotiation strategies can be understood as a result of their habitus, their social position, and the capital they bring to the specific situation.