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A dimensional analysis of caregiver burden among spouses and adult children
- Authors:
- SAVUNDRANAYAGAM Marie Y., MONTGOMERY Rhonda J. V., KOSLOSKI Karl
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 51(3), June 2011, pp.321-331.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
There is growing consensus that the burden of caregiving responsibilities is multidimensional. This article identifies dimensions reflecting pre-existing interpersonal relationships (relationship burden), activities to provide support for the care receiver which may affect other aspects of the caregiver's life (objective burden), and emotional stress or anxiety relating to caregiving experience (stress burden). The aim of the study described was to examine the measurement properties of the Montgomery-Borgatta Burden Measure, designed to assess the caregiver's perceptions about their caregiving burden. The participants were 280 spouse/partner and 243 adult child caregivers of people with chronic illnesses recruited from the US League of Experienced Family Caregivers. Information was gathered using questionnaires, and the article describes the methods, analysis and results. It reports that the findings supported the contention that caregiver burden is multidimensional, and demonstrated the invariance of the 3 dimensions of burden across spouses and adult children.
Community-dwelling older adults' contextual experiencing of humour
- Authors:
- DAMIANAKIS Thecla, MARZIALI Elsa
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 31(1), January 2011, pp.110-124.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This study investigated the contextual experiencing of humour by community-dwelling older adults. Participants included 20 older Canadian adults who had participated in a larger study of a number of dimensions associated with the process of ageing. Analysis of older peoples’ accounts about their day-to-day lives revealed four types of experienced humour: affiliative; self-enhancing; self-defeating; and authentic. Expressing and appreciating humour contributed to sustaining positive social connections. The use of authentic humour and being able to laugh at one's self appeared to support a positive sense of self and was adaptive for coping with the inevitable losses that accompany the ageing process, such as declining health status. The authors concluded that humour expression and appreciation play an important role in managing the ageing process in ways that are adaptive, especially in inter-personal contexts. Health care providers in community and institutional settings should aware of the benefits for older people of experiencing humour.
Mealtimes and being connected in the community-based dementia context
- Authors:
- KELLER Heather H., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Dementia: the International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 9(2), May 2010, pp.1941-213.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Mealtimes provide an opportunity for social activity and emotional connection. This study focused on the meaning and experience of mealtimes in families living with dementia in the community. Twenty six dyads and one triad, from Ontario, Canada, participated in the study, yielding 28 partners in care and 27 persons with dementia. They were interviewed both together and separately. Team analysis resulted in the development of a substantive theory which explains how eating together ‘mirrors the way we are’ and reveals the essence of what it is to be a person while living with dementia. Findings show that mealtimes reflected how these families were being connected, honouring identity and gender roles, and adapting to evolving circumstances. This study indentified, and describes, three ways in which being connected occurs at mealtimes: being face to face; participating psychologically; and getting and giving support. In conclusion, the authors indicate that understanding the role that mealtimes play in promoting improved connections, and thus relationships, within the dementia context has important implications for both formal and family care partners.
How smart homes are used to support older people: an integrative review
- Authors:
- TURJAMAA Riitta, PEHKONEN Aki, KANGASNIEMI Mari
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Older People Nursing, 14(4), 2019, p.e12260.
- Publisher:
- John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
- Place of publication:
- West Sussex
Background: The number of healthy older people is increasing, and most of them want to live in their own homes for as long as possible. Smart home technology can support living at home, but synthetised knowledge of previous studies about their suitability for the everyday lives of older people is rare. Methods: Data for this integrated review were obtained by searching the PubMed, CINAHL and Scopus databases from 2012 to 2019, based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and then carrying out quality appraisals of the papers that were selected. Results: This study identified 944 papers, and 16 were included in the review. According to our analysis, smart home solutions for older people focused on devices for daily and healthy living and older people's safety. The smart home solutions they discussed were used to help older people carry out everyday activities and lead healthier and more fulfilled lives, by improving their physical safety and social communication. Older people reported that smart homes improved their sense of security, quality of daily life and activities and provided them with information about the care they could receive. However, research on older people playing an active role in developing smart home technology was lacking. Conclusion: The existing literature focused on evaluating daily activities with routine measurements. There has been a lack of research that has focused on older people's experiences as the end users of this technology. However, the papers lacked data on how older people could maintain their social relationships and become more proactive in daily living. Implications for practice: With further development, smart homes can be used to support older people to perform daily activities and help them maintain their social relationships. These steps will ensure that they can continue to live independently in their own homes for longer. (Edited publisher abstract)
Changes in the couple relationship in dementia care: spouse carers’ experiences
- Authors:
- O'SHAUGHNESSY Margaret, LEE Kristina, LINTERN Tracey
- Journal article citation:
- Dementia: the International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 9(2), May 2010, pp.237-258.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Many people with dementia are cared for in their own homes by their spouses, who, on average, are 76 and 86 years old, for husbands and wives respectively. These carers’ face unique challenges as they adjust to the demands of caring, whilst experiencing significant losses in their marital relationship. The ‘professionalisation’ of carers by services has been criticised, and recent UK government guidance proposes that carers receive an assessment of psychological need. This study, using semi-structured interviews with seven spouses, explored spouse carers’ experiences. Participants who were caring for their partners with mid-stage dementia at home were recruited though local Alzheimer’s Societies. Data analysis, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, identified four major themes: connectedness and separateness; tension between meeting own needs and meeting needs of spouse; knowing and not knowing the future; and seeking control in both emotional and practical strategies. Findings showed that with the progressive decline in their partners’ functioning, spouse carers experienced an ongoing process of re-evaluation and re-positioning of themselves in relation to their partner and their relationship. In conclusion, the authors highlight the importance of support groups and psychological support for carers.
The dynamics of continuity and discontinuity for women caring for a spouse with dementia
- Authors:
- WALTERS Alun H., OYEBODE Jan R., RILEY Gerard A.
- Journal article citation:
- Dementia: the International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 9(2), May 2010, pp.169-189.
- Publisher:
- Sage
The responsibility for community based care for older people with dementia is often left to a spouse, and, unlike caring for a partner with physical health problems, care of dementia sufferers has been found to be associated with high rates of depression, and a sense of burden. This qualitative study explores spouse caregivers’ understanding of, and responses to, partners with dementia. Interviews were held with six wives, aged 64 to 78 years, who had been providing care to their husbands in the community for at least two years. Transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and four interconnected themes were proposed and described: same person or different; relational change; emotional responses to behaviours; and impact on day-to-day life. Participants’ sense of continuity with the past was suggested to influence each theme. The construct of continuity was proposed to be elastic, with both intra-psychic and inter-psychic factors impacting upon its elasticity. In conclusion, the authors suggest that a sense of continuity seemed to be associated with better adjustment to care giving.
‘I think I have had a good life’: the everyday lives of older women and men from a lifecourse perspective
- Author:
- GUNNARSSON Evy
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 29(1), January 2009, pp.33-48.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Through increased longevity, older people today live for many years in retirement. Research on the everyday lives of older women and men who are not in need of help from elder care is scarce. This paper reports an in-depth study of a small sample of such relatively healthy older people in Sweden. The aim of the study was to describe, analyse and interpret from a lifecourse perspective how older women and men experience everyday life. Twenty informants were recruited through advertisements and they were interviewed twice. They were aged 75 to 90 years at the first interview. The informants belong to the cohort that was born before the Second World War and they have witnessed and benefitted from both unprecedented economic growth and the development of the Swedish welfare state. Both the men and the women had been in paid work outside the home, and once retired they were determined to remain active. Even though many had found that their capacities had reduced, the informants spontaneously stressed the importance of continuing to be physically and mentally active. They saw life as meaningful because they sustained links in different ways with kin, friends and organisations. They wanted to remain active as long as possible, even when a decline in health reduced the range of activities that they could pursue.