“I love seeing them laughing and smiling and everything, it actually just brightens my heart.” The Use of IPA to Explore the Lived Experience of Paid Care Workers.
Abstract
Objective: To explore the lived experience of paid care workers using IPA.
Participants: The 8 participants recruited in this study are paid caregivers in Scotland who
support elderly clients. The participants received new names for this study: the 5 female
participants were called Alex, Bailey, Charlie, Dani, and Elliot, while the 3 male participants
were named Frankie, Glenn, and Harper.
Methods: Participants were required to do semi-structured face-to-face recorded interview
using an interview schedule. The recordings were transcribed and analysed using IPA thus
generating the superordinate and subordinate themes of the study.
Results: The data has generated 3 superordinate themes: Rewards, Challenges, and Support.
Rewards is associated with 3 subordinate themes: Promoting Independence, Connection with
Clients, and Joy and Positivity in the Workplace. Challenges is associated with 3 subordinate
themes: Challenging/Violent Behaviour, Workload, and Transformative Experience. Support
is associated with 2 subordinate themes: Frustration Due to Support Facilities and Importance
of Empathy.