Relatives' involvement in caring for the elderly mentally ill following long-term hospitalization.

The involvement of relatives in patient care is frequently associated with 'good nursing practice'. However, according to recent literature it is a practice that is not widely adopted. The intention of this study was to ascertain the extent of relatives' involvement in caring for the elderly mentally ill, from both relatives' and nurses' perspectives. Following analysis of more than 130 questionnaires it was found that nursing staff responded very positively towards greater involvement of relatives wishing to encourage their participation. In comparison relatives felt that their role in patient care was negligible, but despite this did not wish to seek greater involvement. The discussion that follows examines possible reasons for these findings and the implications for future practice.