This paper brings together theoretical work on gender, caregiving, and illness to investigate emotion work performed in response to a spouse’s physical illness. We analyzed qualitative in-depth interview data with 36 individuals in 18 long-term heterosexual marriages (N=36) wherein one or both spouses experienced illness. Findings indicated that men and women performed, received, and interpreted their emotion work in gendered ways. Women with an ill spouse performed emotion work more often than men. Women who were ill themselves often performed emotion work to relieve the burden on their spouse—a dynamic not found among men who were ill. When women performed emotion work, they constructed this work as a natural propensity. Men who did not perform emotion work constructed themselves as protective and problem-solving. These findings point to underlying intra- and inter-personal processes that may help to explain why women experience higher levels of caregiver burden and depression than do men. / text

The purpose of the present study was to explore the ways that spouses of persons with ABI experience a process of change in roles, routine, and overall lifestyle and the subsequent implications for their support needs. The present study used a qualitative narrative inquiry methodology to examine the process of the experiences of this population of spouses. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 spouses, each of whom was engaged in a heterosexual relationship. There were 10 female and five male participants whose ages ranged from 40 to 61. Twelve of the participants were formally married, and three were in a common law relationship. In the interviews, the participants were asked about the changes in their lives after the onset of their spouses’ brain injuries. The data analysis was informed by narrative inquiry with attention paid to the structure of the participants’ stories. A three phase trajectory of caregiving emerged from the analysis which provided details regarding the process of change in the spousal caregiving role and how various role transitions within this role were intertwined with stressors and other feelings. The research highlighted three phases of caregiving including an Embryonic, Immersed and Modified Caregiver phase. The findings were theoretically important for identifying: how these spouses situate themselves within role transitions; coping strategies; various support needs; and future directions for research in this area.

The purpose of the present study was to explore the ways that spouses of persons with ABI experience a process of change in roles, routine, and overall lifestyle and the subsequent implications for their support needs. The present study used a qualitative narrative inquiry methodology to examine the process of the experiences of this population of spouses. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 spouses, each of whom was engaged in a heterosexual relationship. There were 10 female and five male participants whose ages ranged from 40 to 61. Twelve of the participants were formally married, and three were in a common law relationship. In the interviews, the participants were asked about the changes in their lives after the onset of their spouses’ brain injuries. The data analysis was informed by narrative inquiry with attention paid to the structure of the participants’ stories. A three phase trajectory of caregiving emerged from the analysis which provided details regarding the process of change in the spousal caregiving role and how various role transitions within this role were intertwined with stressors and other feelings. The research highlighted three phases of caregiving including an Embryonic, Immersed and Modified Caregiver phase. The findings were theoretically important for identifying: how these spouses situate themselves within role transitions; coping strategies; various support needs; and future directions for research in this area.

Research on aging in low income countries tends to overlook socio-cultural dimensions, including the significance of change. Because countries like Kenya are expected to witness a demographic shift in coming years, and because different forms of change will place new pressures on existing resources during the same timeframe, there is a need to bridge this gap. This study therefore grapples with the following question: How is change shaping the characteristics and needs of Kenya‘s aging population? This thesis adopts a mixed methods approach informed by critical gerontology and life course perspectives to examine the aging experiences of Pokot elders living in Marich Pass, north western Kenya, in face of multi-scalar changes. Results highlight the challenges and opportunities created by change, and illuminate a need to develop resources to support informal caregivers, to buttress existing formal supports, and to develop additional formal supports to address the unique needs of Pokot elders.

No description available.

Bakgrund: Ungefär 100 000 människor i Sverige beräknas lida av Alzheimers sjukdom. Vanliga symtom är minnesförlust och nedsatt inlärningsförmåga. Vården av de med Alzheimers sjukdom sker ofta i hemmet av en närstående. Dessa närstående får inte tillräckligt med information och deras livskvalitet blir sämre. Det är därför viktigt att vårdpersonalen kar kunskap om de upplevelser som de närstående vårdarna har för att kunna stötta dem. Syfte: Syftet med denna litteraturstudie var att belysa upplevelser av att vårda en närstående med diagnosen Alzheimers sjukdom. Metod: I denna litteraturstudie har nio empiriska studier kvalitetsgranskats och analyserats utifrån en analysmetod med grund i metasyntes. De databaser som använts är; Cinahl, PubMed och PsycInfo. Resultat: Analysen gav 5 kategorier och 14 subkategorier. De fem kategorierna var; 1) Vårdarrollen. 2) Vårdandets positiva aspekter. 3) Diagnosens negativa konsekvenser. 4) Stöd och hjälp. 5) Det oundvikliga beslutet. Konklusion: Resultatet visar på att de som vårdar en närstående med Alzheimers sjukdom kan uppleva såväl ökad närhet som en känsla av förlust vilket är något som vårdpersonal bör vara uppmärksam på för att kunna stötta. Mer information genom sjukdomsförloppet var nödvändigt. Personcentrerad omvårdnad behövdes till följd av de skilda upplevelserna hos de närstående. Nyckelord: Närstående, upplevelse, Alzheimers sjukdom, omvårdnad.

Introduction/ Objectives: Stroke, the third leading cause of death in Canada, is projected to rise in the next 20 years as the population ages and obesity rates increase. Family caregivers fulfill pertinent roles in providing support for family members who have survived a stroke, from onset to re-integration into the community. However, the transition from rehabilitation to home is a crucial transition for both the stroke survivor and family caregiver. As the stroke survivor transitions home from a rehabilitation facility, family caregivers provide different types of support, including assistance with navigating the stroke rehabilitation system. They also are a constant source of support for the stroke survivor providing them with continuity during the transition. In this exploratory study we examined family caregivers’ perceptions and experiences navigating the stroke rehabilitation system. The theories of continuity care and complex adaptive systems were used to examine the transition home from hospital or stroke rehabilitation facility, and in some cases back to hospital. Methodology: Family caregivers (n=14) who provide care for a stroke survivor were recruited 4-12 weeks following the patient’s discharge from a stroke rehabilitation facility. Interviews were conducted with family caregivers to examine their perceptions and experiences navigating the stroke rehabilitation system. Directed content analysis was used to explore the perceptions of family caregivers as they reflected on the transitions home. The theories of continuity of care and complex adaptive systems were used to interpret their experiences. Results/Conclusions: During the transition home from a rehabilitation facility, family caregivers are a constant source of support, providing the stroke survivor with continuity. Emergent themes highlight the importance of the caregiving role, and barriers and facilitators that impact the role, and influence continuity of care. Also, supports and services in the community were limited or did not meet the specific needs of the family caregiver. The acknowledgment of the unique attributes of each case will ensure supports and services are tailored to the family caregiver’s needs. Mitigation of systemic barriers would also decrease complexity experienced at the micro-level in the stroke rehabilitation system, and better support the family caregiver during the transition home from a stroke rehabilitation facility.

This study explores fatherhood in contemporary Canadian society by drawing on the experiences of nine full-time care-giving fathers in Vancouver, Canada. Using a social constructionist epistemology, the study explored how fathers who are primary caregivers to their young children construct masculinity, how they enact primary care-giving, and how they can be better supported within communities. Fathers were recruited through posters in community centres and through snowball sampling and volunteered to participate in interviews lasting between one and three hours. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and analysed using pragmatic thematic analysis. Three key themes were constructed to represent the fathers’ self-reported experiences: fathers’ enactment of primary care-giving; fathers’ constructions of masculinity within dominant discourses of masculinity and care; and father’s support needs. Findings suggest that for these primary care-giving fathers, care-giving is active and adventurous, and egalitarian beliefs and roles regarding child care and domestic responsibility predominate within their co-parenting relationship. Traditional Euro-western masculine ideology tends to give way to a “hybrid” ideology that emphasizes affection, emotional intelligence, and caring for one’s family as a whole. Fathers indicated a preference for supports that are self-sought such as the internet and support from partners, and informal supports such as community events and time with peers to structured supports provided by community programs. Fathers who reported benefits from formal community programs offered insight into father-friendly practices. Stigma about primary care-giving by fathers was a significant theme constructed from the data. Implications for community programs for families and primary care-giving fathers in particular are discussed. / Graduate

Tyrimo tikslas – atskleisti artimųjų, slaugiusių sunkiai sergantį šeimos narį iki jo/jos mirties namuose, patirtį. Tiriamas reiškinys – slaugymas iki mirties namuose. Tyrimo klausimai. 1) Kokia yra artimųjų slaugymo namuose sunkiai sergantį šeimos narį patirtis? 2) Kokia yra artimųjų budėjimo namuose šalia mirštančio šeimos nario patirtis? Tyrimo metodai. Kokybinis tyrimas, taikant aprašomosios fenomenologijos strategiją, pagal P. Colaizzi metodą. Duomenys rinkti taikant individualųjį giluminį interviu. Tyrimo dalyviai. 5 artimieji (1 vyras, 4 moterys). Atranka – tikslinė. Atrankos kriterijai: a) artimieji, slaugę sunkiai sergantį suaugusį šeimos narį ir budėję jo/jos mirties momentu namuose; b) artimieji, slaugę šeimos narį ir budėję jo/jos mirties momentu namuose, ne anksčiau nei praėjus vieneriems metams po mirties. Tyrimo rezultatai. Tyrime išryškėjusios temos, kurios atskleidė patirčių esmę – tiriamą reiškinį: 1) Šeimos narys: nesvarbu koks, svarbu, kad tik būtų kartu?; 2) Slaugos namuose motyvai: „namai lieka namais“; 3) Artimųjų palaikymas ir pagalba – „pats svarbiausias dalykas“; 4) Pokyčiai gyvenime: nuo momentinės pagalbos iki priežiūros 24 valandas per parą; 5) Susitaikymas ir „paleidimas“; 6) Mirties akimirka: nuo „visiška ramybė“ iki „blogiausias momentas“; 7) Sveikatos priežiūros specialistai – padedantys arba apsunkinantys esamą situaciją; 8) Sugrįžimas į gyvenimą „be artimųjų slaugymo“. Išvados. Artimieji nusprendę slaugyti sunkiai sergantį šeimos narį... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Reseach purpose – to reveal the family caregivers’ experience of caring a seriously ill family member till his/her death at home. Studied phenomenon – caring a seriously ill family member till his/her death at home. Research questions. 1) What kind of experience have the family caregivers got of caring a seriously ill family member till his/her death at home? 2) What kind of experience have family caregivers got while caring a dying family member? Research methods. Qualitative research, with applied descriptive phenomenology strategy, on the base of P. Colaizzi method. Data has been collected by in-depth interviewing, asking two research questions. Research participants. 5 family caregivers (1 male, 4 female). Selection – target, selection criteria: a) family caregivers who took care of a seriously ill adult family member till his/her death at home; b) family caregivers who took care of a seriously ill adult family member at home, no earlier than a year after he/she had passed. Research results. The following themes have emerged: 1) Family Member: no matter how he or she is, it is important to have one beside; 2) Home care motivation: “home is home”; 3) Family members’ assistance and support – “the most important thing”; 4) Changes in care needs: from instant help to care 24 hours a day; 5) Reconciliation and acknowledging the full reality of the loss; 6) The moment of death: from “total peace” to the “worst moment”; 7) Health care professionals – whether they help or hinder... [to full text]

Kvarboendeprincipen innebär att den äldre sjuka individen ska ha möjlighet att kunna bo kvar i sitt ordinära boende med hjälp av hemtjänst eller anhöriga. Ofta fyller anhöriga funktionen som vårdare och är en förutsättning för kvarboende i hemmet för personer med demens.Rapporter visar på svårigheter och ökad belastning för anhöriga. Syftet var att undersöka vilka konsekvenser kvarboende i hemmet kan ha för anhöriga till personen med demens. Metod var en integrerad litteraturstudie. Efter urval och kvalitetsgranskning återstod tolv artiklar som användes i resultatet. Elva artiklar var kvantitativa och en artikel var mixad metod. I resultatet framkom fyra kategorier: Anhörigvårdarna kände börda, Vårdandet övergick i psykisk ohälsa, BPSD inverkade på anhörigas livskvalité, Behov av hjälp utifrån. Konklusion: Varaktigheten i vårdandet samt om personen med demens hade BPSD var av betydelse för om anhörigvårdarna utvecklade känslan av börda, psykisk ohälsa samt om de var i behov av hjälp utifrån. Stöd och utbildning till anhörigvårdarna i tidigt skede kan bidra till att anhörigvårdarna orkar vårda längre i det ordinära boendet. / In Sweden remaining living at home principle means that the older sick individual should have the opportunity to stay in their ordinary home with the    help of home care services or relatives. The family members often act as a caregiver and is a prerequisite for remaining living at home for people with dementia. Reports show the difficulties and increased burden for the relatives.The aim of the study was to investigate the consequences remaining living at home can have for relatives of the person with dementia. Method: An integrated literature study was used as a method. After selection and quality assessment remained twelve articles used in the result. Eleven articles were quantitative and one article were a mixed approach.The results revealed four categories: Family caregivers felt burden, Caring were turned into mental illness, BPSD impact on family members' quality of life, Taking  care from outside health providers.Conclusion: The duration of the treatment process as well as the person with dementia had BPSD was relevant to whether carers developed sense of burden, mental illness and were in need of outside help. Education and support for carers in the early stage of the illness, may help family caregivers to give informal caregiving longer in regularhousing.