What is a case study?
A case study is a careful look at one real situation: one person, family or service. Instead of learning only general rules, we see how the rules work in real life, with all the mixed-up details.
In care education, case studies help you connect theory with practice, practise thinking like a team, and learn from successes and mistakes without anyone being harmed.
Steps of a case study
- Read the case twice. Underline facts.
- Facts versus guesses: write what is known (for example "refuses bath on cold days") apart from what is only thought ("he is lazy").
- Issue and cause: name the main life issue, then ask "why?" three times to reach the causes.
- Person's wish and strengths: what does he or she want? what can he or she do?
- Goals and plan: write a short-term goal, a long-term goal and a plan (what, who, how, when, safety). Say how you will evaluate.
- Discuss in a group: listen to other views and look at other options.
- Present and reflect: share in clear lines, then write what you learned and what you would do differently.
Using the care process in a case
The case study uses the same care-process loop you already know. Facts = gathering information. Issue and cause = assessment. Goal and plan = planning. In a case study we cannot implement, so we say how it would be done and evaluated, and we may imagine a revision.
Also ask which team members would help and what each would do.
Group discussion and presentation
In group talk: everyone speaks, listen without interrupting, use "I think... because...", and use facts to support your view. If views differ, look for the option that best fits the person's wish and safety.
Presentation tips: a one-line summary of the case, the main issue, two causes, two goals, the plan table, and "what we learned". Use simple words, keep to five minutes and invite questions.
Privacy and fairness
- Change names and remove place names, dates or faces that could identify the person.
- Use cases only for learning and share them only with the class or team.
- Do not blame people. Look at causes and systems.
- Do not judge the person's life. Describe, do not label ("refuses" not "difficult").
Try it: a mini case
Case: "Granny stays in her room and eats little since her friend moved away." Write: two facts, one guess, the issue, two possible causes, one goal with a time and one plan line. Then check: did you include her own wish? Did you change the name?
Key formulas and definitions
- Case study = Read + Facts + Issue and cause + Goal + Plan + Discuss + Reflect
- Fact = known and checked; Guess = thought only
- Ask "why?" three times to find a cause
- Privacy = change names, hide details
Worked examples
1. Sort: "refuses bath on cold days", "he is lazy", "has knee pain".
Facts: refuses bath on cold days; has knee pain. Guess: he is lazy. Do not build the plan on the guess.
2. Ask why three times: "Granny eats little."
Why? She eats alone. Why? Her friend moved away. Why does that matter? Mealtime was her social time. Cause: loneliness at meals.
3. Write a goal for the cold-bath case.
"Within three weeks Mr. S bathes three times a week in a warm room with a stool, without refusing."
4. How should the name be protected?
Use "Mr. S" or a made-up name, remove the exact place and date, and share only in class.
Common mistakes
- Treating guesses as facts.
- Blaming the person or staff instead of looking for causes.
- Using real names and places in a presentation.
- Forgetting the person's own wish.