The role and influence of micro-cultures in long-term care on the mental health and wellbeing of older people: a scoping review of evidence

摘要

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore evidence about the role played by micro-cultures in long-term care (LTC) settings in shaping residents' mental health and wellbeing.Design/methodology/approach - A scoping review on micro-cultures in LTC, including database search of academic and grey literature using pre-determined combinations of key terms and specific inclusion/ exclusion criteria. The review followed the methodological framework of Arksey and O'Malley (2005). Findings - Micro-cultures (localised, distinctive cultures of a small group of people) in LTC are complex, multi-faceted and multi-directional; they include social dynamics as well as structural and environmental factors. Although much work has been done on the nature of micro-cultures, limited work has focused on LTC for older people. Initiatives to promote the mental health and wellbeing of residents rarely consider micro-cultures in any holistic way; they tend to be taken into account either as part of a contextual backdrop, or as a uni-directional process often equated with the concept of "care culture" or "organisational culture".