Family involvement in long-term care facilities for older adults: A scoping review on resident, family, staff and organizational factors

OBJECTIVES: This scoping review provides an overview of factors influencing family members' involvement with older adults in Long Term Care Facilities (LTCFs). Included factors are organized into resident-, family member-, and organizational level categories. DESIGN: A literature search (in PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo and CINAHL) was performed up to May 15, 2023, in collaboration with a medical information specialist. SETTING: Long Term Care Facilities. PARTICIPANTS: Family members of older adults residing in LTCFs. MEASUREMENTS: Family involvement, conceptualized as visit frequency and visit duration. RESULTS: Ten studies were eligible for inclusion. Only a limited number of factors were examined across most studies, and these showed consistent associations with family involvement: residents' duration of stay in the facility, their physical health and their cognitive functioning, and family members' kinship and emotional closeness and physical proximity to the LTCF. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight that family involvement in LTCFs does not solely depend on older adults' characteristics, but is also shaped by relationship quality as well as emotional and physical proximity. Recognizing families as essential care partners, and embedding this perspective into policies, training, and care routines, may enhance residents' quality of life and support family well-being.