Promoting autonomy and independence for older people within nursing practice: an observational study.

Although autonomy and independence are widely held to be important goals of care for older people, these terms lack precise definition and operationalization in the literature. This paper reports on observational data gathered as part of an evaluation of educational programmes in the nursing care of older people. Strategies which appear both to promote and inhibit autonomy and independence of older patients in a range of care settings are described. Recommendations are made for further research to explore the extent to which autonomy and independence are appropriate goals of care for older people with cognitive impairment.