Resident, family, and staff perceptions of the 'Good Life' in nursing home dementia care.

Providing high-quality care for nursing home residents with dementia is challenging due to staff turnover and complex care needs. This paper examines what constitutes 'good' days for residents, families, and staff. Guided by Gitlin's "Good Life" model, we conducted 46 telephone interviews with 11 residents with dementia, 19 family members, and 16 staff from seven nursing homes. Family or staff assisted residents during interviews. Data were analyzed thematically. Residents described better days as those with consistent daily routines and meaningful social interactions, particularly with staff. Family members reported better days when they felt reassured about the quality of care and could balance caregiving with other responsibilities. Staff defined better days as those in which residents' needs were met and high-quality care was delivered. Across groups, consistent routines and positive staff-resident interactions emerged as key contributors to well-being, highlighting opportunities to support residents, family and staff in nursing homes.