Search results for ‘Subject term:"older people"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 10 of 56
What makes a nursing home a home? Insights from family members and friends
- Authors:
- WEEKS Lori, CHAMBERLAIN Stephanie, KEEFE Janice
- Journal article citation:
- Housing Care and Support, 20(4), 2017, pp.152-163.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of homelikeness from the perspective of family members and friends of nursing home residents across different models of nursing homes. Design/methodology/approach: This mixed-methods study examined survey data collected from 397 family members and friends of residents living in 23 nursing homes representing three models of care (traditional, new augmented, and full scope). Participants completed a homelikeness scale and a measure of the importance of nursing home spaces to family members and friends. This study also involved conducting three focus groups with 20 family members and friends to provide further insights into the findings. Findings: Analysis of survey data indicated quite high levels of homelikeness overall. Significant differences did emerge between traditional model nursing homes compared to new full-scope and new augmented models for all items in the homelikeness scale and for many items about nursing home spaces. Qualitative results provided insights into how homelikeness can be fostered through public and private spaces and through care and relationships. Research limitations/implications: As this study was conducted in one Canadian province, the results may not be applicable to other geographic areas. In addition, there are limitations in survey response rate. Practical implications: Homelikeness can be supported across models of care by fostering relationships between residents and staff, ensuring that that family and friends feel welcome, and creating public and private physical spaces that are conducive to new and ongoing relationships. Originality/value: The results provide evidence to nursing home decision makers about how to foster a homelike environment in various models of nursing homes. (Publisher abstract)
Identifying changeable barriers to family involvement in the nursing home for cognitively impaired residents
- Author:
- PORT Cynthia Lindman
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 44(6), December 2004, pp.770-778.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Barriers to family involvement in the US nursing home with the potential for change through intervention were examined, including transportation, caregiver health, relationships with staff, and resident characteristics. Data were collected for 93 family caregiver–resident pairs by means of telephone interviews and chart review. Regression modelling was used to identify relationships between involvement (caregiver visit frequency) and the changeable barriers after the known variables of distance, kinship, payment source, length of stay and cognitive function were taken into account. Lower visit frequency was found for caregivers reporting problems with transportation, poor relationships with staff and a smaller network of supportive family and friends. Higher caregiver anxiety was related to higher visit frequency. Several barriers to family involvement are shown to be as or more influential than ones identified in previous research, thus providing empirical support for interventions currently used as well as suggesting new areas for intervention.
Institutionalization for the elderly is a novel phenomenon among the Arab population in Israel
- Authors:
- AZAIZA Faisal, LOWENSTEIN Ariela, BRODSKY Jenney
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 31(3/4), 1999, pp.65-89.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Institutionalisation of senior citizens is foreign to Arab Moslem mores. However, the rapid modernisation process witnessed among the Arab population in Israel is also leaving its mark on the social values of the community and the rule that offspring or close family act as sole caregivers of the elderly person is losing its strength. This descriptive account composes a primary profile of the elderly Arab citizens who enter, or already occupy, one of the two old age homes for Arabs in Israel. Discusses the salient features that make an elderly person a candidate for placement include lack of family, sick and/or invalid partner, childlessness, loneliness, and diminished activities of daily living.
Making nursing homes more community-oriented: insights from an exploratory study in Germany
- Author:
- HAMEL Kerstin
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 36(4), 2016, pp.673-693.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Nursing homes have been criticised for restricting the lifestyle of older people in need of care. As concepts of elder care have changed and services in formal care have developed further, efforts towards deinstitutionalisation have led to the enhancement of community care models. This paper discusses how ideas of community care can also influence reform within institutional care. The study focuses on the challenges and obstacles of practice change arising in German nursing homes by opening up to civil society principles. Applying the model of organisational hybridisation, the concept of 12 German nursing homes regarding family and community partners' involvement were analysed through explorative qualitative interviews with nursing home directors. The nursing homes have conceived various forms of co-operation with community actors. Nevertheless, emerging tensions between state, market and civil society conceptions of the nursing homes limit practical change. The ‘organisational hybridisation’ has generated two general problems to be discussed here: first, the difficulty nursing homes have in opening their doors to new perceptions of care as well as to the interests of their community partners. Second, the fact that the nursing homes tend either to strive for an integration in community life or for the maintenance of a ‘sheltered zone’ for their residents implies that nursing homes' definition of ‘normality’ has a strong influence on their chosen concept of care. (Publisher abstract)
The living–dying interval in nursing home-based end-of-life care: family caregivers' experiences
- Authors:
- WALDROP Deborah P., KUSMAUL Nancy
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 54(8), November 2011, pp.768-787.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Most chronic care nursing home residents are in the living-dying interval, which encompasses the period of chronic morbidity prior to the dying process. Enhanced care during the transition from routine to palliative care is important for nursing home residents and their family members. The aim of this study was to explore family members' experiences with a loved one who died in a nursing home, and the nature of the living-dying interval from their perspectives. In-depth interviews were conducted with 31 caregivers of residents who had died. The interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. Analysis revealed 3 main themes and their subthemes that illuminated the families' experiences on the living–dying interval. The acute medical crisis which preceded the nursing home admission included: trigger events; accumulation of stressors; and level of care crisis. The living–dying phase included: advance care planning; hospitalisation; and end-stage decisions. Finally, the terminal phase included: beginning of the end; and awareness of dying. These results illustrate critical periods for social work intervention with families of dying nursing home residents.
Family care-giving and decisions about entry to care: a rural perspective
- Authors:
- RYAN Assumpta, MCKENNA Hugh, SLEVIN Oliver
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 32(1), January 2012, pp.1-18.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This qualitative study undertaken in a large Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland investigated rural family carers' experiences of the nursing home placement of an older relative. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 relatives of nursing home residents. Findings revealed that older people had deep attachments to their homes and entry to care was a last resort. Rural family carers had close relationships with health and social care practitioners and felt supported in the decision-making process. The choice of home was a foregone conclusion for carers who had a strong sense of familiarity with the nursing homes in their area. This familiarity was influenced by the relatively rural communities in which respondents resided, which seemed to thrive in these small communities. This familiarity, in turn, influenced the choice of nursing home, timing of the placement and responses of family carers. The findings indicate that issues such as location and familiarity warrant a more detailed exploration in future research on entry to care.
User and family satisfaction with nursing homes: a systematic review
- Authors:
- VASSIMON-BARROSO Verena, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 33(1), 2021, p.mzaa160.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- Place of publication:
- Oxford
Background: Implementation of person-directed care planning is a challenge for nursing home services. User satisfaction is indispensable to implement it. Objective: The aim of this study was to address user and family satisfaction with nursing homes and the scales used and to identify the determinants of satisfaction with this service. Methods: A systematic review was conducted, and the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and CINAHL databases were searched between December 2019 and April 2020. Studies involving assessment of user or family satisfaction with nursing homes and users ≥65 years old or their families were included in this review. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed by the Joanna Briggs Institute reviewer’s manual. Results: Eight articles were included based on the eligibility criteria, from a total of 2378 records found in the electronic search. All studies presented a cross-sectional design, and the total sample of this review was 57 214 older people. Most of the studies included showed positive overall satisfaction with nursing homes. There was no consensus about the best scale to assess satisfaction because of the huge variety of tools among studies. The most common determinants of satisfaction among studies were quality of life (mental and physical components), anxiety and social and health factors. Conclusion: The findings of the review may contribute to a better view of satisfaction with nursing homes experienced by users and families and to an improvement of care in these institutions. (Edited publisher abstract)
A scoping review: characteristics and outcomes of residents who experience involuntary relocation
- Authors:
- WEAVER Raven H., ROBERTO Karen A., BROSSOIE Nancy
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 60(1), 2020, pp.e20-e37.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Background and Objectives: Relocation to a residential care facility has been described as the most significant relocation affecting older adults, yet subsequent relocations, like in the case of a facility closure, have received minimal attention in the scholarly research literature. This paper reviews the published literature on involuntary relocation, focusing on the experiences of residents, families, and staff and the effects of involuntary relocation on nursing home residents’ health. Research Design and Methods: A scoping review was conducted to identify peer-reviewed studies reporting on involuntary relocation of nursing home residents. A total of 28 quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method articles met inclusion criteria. Results: Researchers mostly relied on longitudinal designs and quantitative indicators of functional health, cognitive status, psychological and emotional well-being, environment, and relocation context to examine residents’ mortality risk and health outcomes associated with involuntary relocation. Inclusion of qualitative and mixed-method approaches was infrequent, as were indicators of social engagement and perceptions of relocation. Residents’ awareness of and preparation for involuntary relocation positively influenced their health and well-being. Family involvement was frequently hindered by communication challenges with facilities. Staff expressed concern about residents, experienced increased workload demands, and acknowledged challenges with planning and communication. Discussion and Implications: Based on the collective findings, the authors propose a conceptual model of critical factors at play during relocation for consideration for guiding future research and developing provisions to current policies guiding relocation processes. Facilities and policymakers need to consider procedures that enhance planning efforts and decision-making among this vulnerable population and their families. (Edited publisher abstract)
The positive association of end-of-life treatment discussions and care satisfaction in the nursing home
- Authors:
- REINHARDT Joann P., BOERNER Kathrin, DOWNES Deirdre
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life and Palliative Care, 11(3-4), 2015, pp.307-322.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia
With the progression of dementia, the need for families and health care providers to have discussions about end-of-life (EOL) treatments arises. EOL treatment decisions often involve whether or not medical interventions intended to prolong life—such as resuscitation, artificial nutrition and hydration, and use of antibiotics—are desired. It is unclear if family satisfaction with care in the nursing home may be associated with involvement in EOL treatment discussions. The frequency of discussions that family members reported having with health care team members regarding multiple life-sustaining treatments and symptom management for their relatives with advanced dementia were examined over a 6-month period along with the association of these particular discussions with care satisfaction over time. Results showed that greater frequency of discussion of EOL treatment wishes was positively associated with higher care satisfaction scores among family members of nursing home residents with dementia. When considered together, greater frequency of discussion of artificial hydration was uniquely associated with greater care satisfaction and increased care satisfaction over time. Social workers must ensure that EOL treatment discussions with older adults in the nursing home and their family members take place and that preferences are communicated among the various interdisciplinary health team members. (Publisher abstract)
Running between the raindrops: the obligation dilemma of the social worker in the nursing home
- Authors:
- LEV Sagit, AYALON Liat
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Work, 40(1), 2015, pp.10-18.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
The authors examined perspectives of social workers working in nursing homes concerning their obligation to the older adult, the family, and the facility, and identified the dilemmas and difficulties that arise from these sometimes conflicting obligations. Authors conducted semistructured in-depth interviews with 15 social workers employed in nursing homes in Israel. Inter-theme consistencies and contradictions were elucidated, and descriptive and then interpretive categories were created to represent interview data. Social workers acknowledged their multiple, often contradictory loyalties to the older resident, the management of the institution, the staff, and the resident's family. The obligation dilemma was particularly evident in relocation decisions and suspected cases of elder abuse. The findings highlight the importance of the obligation dilemma in the work experience of social workers. Potential implications for the care provided to older adults in nursing homes are discussed. (Publisher abstract)