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Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University

The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of elderly people caring for HIV positive orphans on antiretroviral treatment in Swaziland. An exploratory, descriptive and contextual qualitative study based on a phenomenological approach was conducted. Data was collected by means of semi structured interviews with twelve elderly people purposively selected at Mbabane Government Hospital antiretroviral treatment clinic. The findings of the study highlighted that the elderly people were giving care under compulsion with very little support from the government, the community or other organisations. Their care giving capacity was compromised by many challenges which included the heavy burden of caring for a number of dependents; economic constraints; poor infrastructure; food insecurity, and physical, psychological and social constraints. The elderly were employing a number of coping strategies to counteract the challenges that they were facing. The researcher concluded that the elderly people were vital in ensuring the survival of sick orphans under the paediatric antiretroviral treatment programme in Swaziland if afforded sufficient support and empowerment. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

This thesis presents the notion that paid elder care work is often more involved with ordering individuals, than caring for them. It discusses this issue via ethnographic data about care assistant and nursing auxiliary work, which was collected in two elder care homes: Hazelford Lodge residential home and Bracken Court nursing home. The thesis uses care, control, and knowledge as the main themes for the discussion of work in both homes. The first chapter sites the thesis within the context of the academic literature on the discourses of the body, the nature of care work and residential care. It focuses especially upon care work as body labour. Chapter two presents the ethnographic methodological approach of the thesis, in two sections. Firstly, the use of the Foucauldian notion of discourse is explained, and secondly, the research process and research relationships are explored through a reflexive account. Chapters two and three present social, structural and spatial aspects of the two settings. They discuss the different ways in which the homes were organised, and that spaces were utilised and had different meanings, within the homes. Chapters four and five are based upon data from Hazelford Lodge residential home, and illustrate the care assistants' work as centred upon created order in the home, based upon the typification of residents and others. Chapters six and seven explore the auxiliaries' work in Bracken Court and present three control issues as central to their jobs. Firstly the overt ordering of patients around spaces in the home. Secondly, the normalisation of individuals into patient, and objects, of body work. Thirdly, the auxiliaries' resistance to heir role and status. Chapter eight compares the work of the assistants and auxiliaries in terms of resident and patient construction, the nature of the two forms of work, their knowledge, and lastly, their constructions of place and status. The thesis argues that both groups of workers are involved in ordering bodies that they perceive to be problematic and degenerating. In Hazelford Lodge order and discipline is practised as care and in Bracken Court the auxiliaries use more overt forms of control, but both 'caring' and controlling are effective methods of creating order. By introducing notions of body labour and ordering, the thesis presents a unique critique of paid care.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Stockholms universitet, 2008. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Introduction: Thailand is experiencing a demographic change with an increasing elderly population. The care of elderly is mainly within the family, however changes that comes with modernization is leading to an increase in nursing homes and changing values. Purpose: The purpose is to explore and understand four professional social workers - with academic and practical experience, point of view on  how elderly care in Thailand is changing and what role social workers have in that change. The study aims to explore how the social workers perceive how elderly care and social work is developing in Thailand. Method: Semi structured interviews with four social workers were conducted after convenience sampling and snowball sampling. I have used an inductive approach when researching since the purpose in the beginning was general and later narrowed down. Theory: The theory used in this thesis is the system theory.Results: The results were divided into three main themes answering each research question. The social workers’ believed elderly’s role is changing and that depending on their children to provide for them has been replaced with elderly now taking care of themselves. The social workers’ working within the elderly field is few and their role can be administrative but also educating, empowering the elderly. Discussion: Social workers’ role as educators is important since the elderly reforms are new and may be unknown for some Thai elderly. The government has taken another path, focusing on home health care rather than expanding nursing homes. This sector is mainly private and fee based and expanding without demands on regulations and registration.

The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of elderly people caring for HIV positive orphans on antiretroviral treatment in Swaziland. An exploratory, descriptive and contextual qualitative study based on a phenomenological approach was conducted. Data was collected by means of semi structured interviews with twelve elderly people purposively selected at Mbabane Government Hospital antiretroviral treatment clinic. The findings of the study highlighted that the elderly people were giving care under compulsion with very little support from the government, the community or other organisations. Their care giving capacity was compromised by many challenges which included the heavy burden of caring for a number of dependents; economic constraints; poor infrastructure; food insecurity, and physical, psychological and social constraints. The elderly were employing a number of coping strategies to counteract the challenges that they were facing. The researcher concluded that the elderly people were vital in ensuring the survival of sick orphans under the paediatric antiretroviral treatment programme in Swaziland if afforded sufficient support and empowerment. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)