Self-determination and organisation of care in domestic care arrangements

For provision of care to be successful, receivers of care have to be involved in the decisions concerning their domestic care arrangement. Focused interviews of 27 people receiving care, as well as their domestic carers and, where applicable, professional nursing staff were used to investigate how the specific attitudes and resources of economic, social and cultural capital in the different social milieus influence self-determination and organisation of domestic care. Interviews were conducted in both eastern and western Germany. The results show milieu-specific strengths and weaknesses which should be taken into account when considering measures to stabilise domestic care.