‘I want to stay connected with everyone; this is important’ – a qualitative study of Māori expectations and aspirations for aged residential care

INTRODUCTION: As people age, some require care supports, and transition from home to aged residential care (ARC) is associated with improvement in some measures of physical and psychosocial wellbeing. Yet, Māori experience reduced access to ARC. AIM: To explore Māori experiences and expectations of health and social care within ARC. METHODS: We undertook a qualitative study in Hawkes Bay, Aotearoa. We included participants who were Māori with professional or personal/whānau experience of providing care to pakeke and/or kaumātua (older Māori). We interviewed participants one-on-one or in focus groups and analysed data using general inductive thematic analysis informed by kaupapa Māori theory. RESULTS: Thirty-five people participated in 13 focus groups or interviews held from October 2022 to September 2024. We identified three themes: Māori look after our own; expectations of a high-quality clinical care environment; and home environment aspirations. DISCUSSION: Transitions into ARC are shaped by more than clinical need; they reflect cultural expectations, emotional responsibility, financial considerations, and whānau perceptions and experiences relating to the quality and cultural safety of the care environment. ARC needs to provide high-quality clinical and cultural care and support home-like environments to reduce whānau guilt and support successful transitions and living environments for older Māori.