Background: A shortage of nurses is experienced in aged care as these nurses experience adverse working conditions. Resilience might empower these nurses to survive, thrive and even flourish. A paucity of research exists regarding resilience in nurses caring for older persons. Objectives: The purpose of this research was to investigate the level of resilience in nurses caring for older persons, and to explore and describe their strengths and coping abilities, in order to formulate recommendations to strengthen resilience in nurses caring for older persons. Method: An explorative, descriptive design with multiple phases was used. An all-inclusive sample of nurses caring for older persons in an urban setting in the North West Province was used. During phase one (sample size n=43) the level of resilience, demographic information and narratives were obtained. During phase two (sample size n=17) focus group interviews were conducted. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data using content analysis. Results: The participants had a moderately high to high level of resilience. Participants did experience adverse working circumstances and they needed resilience due to a need for balance, the emotional nature of the work, work ethics and the work environment. Nurses caring for older persons use personal, professional, contextual and spiritual strengths to handle adverse working conditions. Conclusion: Recommendations to strengthen resilience in nurses caring for older persons were formulated in phase three of the research, focusing on strengthening nurses‟ personal, professional, contextual and spiritual strengths in order that they can handle adverse workplace conditions. / MCur, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Background: A shortage of nurses is experienced in aged care as these nurses experience adverse working conditions. Resilience might empower these nurses to survive, thrive and even flourish. A paucity of research exists regarding resilience in nurses caring for older persons. Objectives: The purpose of this research was to investigate the level of resilience in nurses caring for older persons, and to explore and describe their strengths and coping abilities, in order to formulate recommendations to strengthen resilience in nurses caring for older persons. Method: An explorative, descriptive design with multiple phases was used. An all-inclusive sample of nurses caring for older persons in an urban setting in the North West Province was used. During phase one (sample size n=43) the level of resilience, demographic information and narratives were obtained. During phase two (sample size n=17) focus group interviews were conducted. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data using content analysis. Results: The participants had a moderately high to high level of resilience. Participants did experience adverse working circumstances and they needed resilience due to a need for balance, the emotional nature of the work, work ethics and the work environment. Nurses caring for older persons use personal, professional, contextual and spiritual strengths to handle adverse working conditions. Conclusion: Recommendations to strengthen resilience in nurses caring for older persons were formulated in phase three of the research, focusing on strengthening nurses‟ personal, professional, contextual and spiritual strengths in order that they can handle adverse workplace conditions. / MCur, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Distriktssköterskans roll är av stor betydelse vid införandet av ett empowerment baserat förhållningssätt gentemot den äldre individen med diabetes typ 2. Empowerment är ett begrepp som uppkommit i samband den humanistiska människosynen och används i syfte att öka patienternas egenvårdsförmåga och självstyre i skötseln av sin diabetes. Livskvalitén ökar av individens delaktighet och självbestämmande, att själv kunna ansvara för sin sjukdom med stöd av distriktssköterskan. Empowerment baserad utbildning i grupp vid återkommande träffar för att få riklig kunskap om diabetes typ 2, med möjlighet till individuella träffar där individerna skapar sina egna mål är av största vikt för att bedriva egenvård. Lagar och författningar som styr distriktssköterskans arbete genomsyras av humanism. Distriktssköterskan behöver få utbildning i att använda sig av ett empowerment baserat arbetssätt och de behöver arbetsledningens stöd då det krävs ökade resurser vid införandet av ett nytt arbetssätt. Empowerment baserad grupputbildning ger en ökad förbättring av den glykemiska kontrollen för äldre individer. Diabetes typ 2 är en sjukdom som ökar i takt med att befolkningen blir äldre. Studien har genomförts som systematisk litteraturstudie.

Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Literature on intergenerational relationships has indicated the importance of respect in these relationships. To date, research has focused mainly on defining the construct of respect or looking at how it presents itself within intergenerational relationships. Little attention has been paid to the experience of respect, leaving a gap, more specifically in the study of the way in which older persons experience respect within intergenerational relationships. Respect has been defined in current literature as a combination of behaviours, attitudes and feelings. Respect is always experienced in relationships between people and accordingly the self-interactional group theory (SIGT) was used as a theoretical framework for understanding older persons’ experience of respect in their relationships with middle adolescents. The focus was specifically placed on their relationships with middle adolescents because of rifts relating to their experience of relational interactions that have been found to exist in these relationships in studies focusing on older youth. Research was conducted in the economically vulnerable community of Vaalharts, situated in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, in which the importance of supportive relationships for older persons is especially relevant. The findings of the study could potentially lead to the development of programmes to strengthen these relationships. Twelve participants (9 female and 3 male) over the age of 60 took part in Mmogo-method® sessions in order to gain an understanding of their subjective experience of the construct of respect. By using the Mmogo-method®, visual data (photos of their presentations made for the Mmogo-method®) and textual data were obtained. In addition, self-reflective journals containing open-ended questions (completed voluntarily by the participants) added to the trustworthiness of the study by using more than one data-gathering method. All data were analysed to derive themes that painted a vivid picture of the older persons’ experience of respect. The photos taken during the Mmogo-method® sessions were visually analysed while textual data were analysed thematically. Findings indicated that the older persons linked respect to the constructs of care and love. It was also seen that certain behaviours, such as using appropriate language and appropriate forms of address, were important aspects of respect. Respect in the relationships between the older persons and middle adolescents has a reciprocal nature and the older persons portrayed attitudes of mutual respect in these interactions. They also expressed their need for middle adolescents to demonstrate their gratitude and, for their part, to have opportunities to model respectful behaviour to middle adolescents. Respect as a construct is experienced by the older persons as an interactional manifestation of the current definitions and forms of respect as presented in literature. It is recommended that similar studies be done with other groups of older persons in order to obtain a broader view of how members of economically vulnerable communities experience respect in their relationships with middle adolescents. The data in this study demonstrate what current literature says about respect, and adds to previous research by achieving an understanding of how older persons’ experience the construct rather than exploring only the definition of respect or how it presents in intergenerational relationships. / MSc (Research Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Literature on intergenerational relationships has indicated the importance of respect in these relationships. To date, research has focused mainly on defining the construct of respect or looking at how it presents itself within intergenerational relationships. Little attention has been paid to the experience of respect, leaving a gap, more specifically in the study of the way in which older persons experience respect within intergenerational relationships. Respect has been defined in current literature as a combination of behaviours, attitudes and feelings. Respect is always experienced in relationships between people and accordingly the self-interactional group theory (SIGT) was used as a theoretical framework for understanding older persons’ experience of respect in their relationships with middle adolescents. The focus was specifically placed on their relationships with middle adolescents because of rifts relating to their experience of relational interactions that have been found to exist in these relationships in studies focusing on older youth. Research was conducted in the economically vulnerable community of Vaalharts, situated in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, in which the importance of supportive relationships for older persons is especially relevant. The findings of the study could potentially lead to the development of programmes to strengthen these relationships. Twelve participants (9 female and 3 male) over the age of 60 took part in Mmogo-method® sessions in order to gain an understanding of their subjective experience of the construct of respect. By using the Mmogo-method®, visual data (photos of their presentations made for the Mmogo-method®) and textual data were obtained. In addition, self-reflective journals containing open-ended questions (completed voluntarily by the participants) added to the trustworthiness of the study by using more than one data-gathering method. All data were analysed to derive themes that painted a vivid picture of the older persons’ experience of respect. The photos taken during the Mmogo-method® sessions were visually analysed while textual data were analysed thematically. Findings indicated that the older persons linked respect to the constructs of care and love. It was also seen that certain behaviours, such as using appropriate language and appropriate forms of address, were important aspects of respect. Respect in the relationships between the older persons and middle adolescents has a reciprocal nature and the older persons portrayed attitudes of mutual respect in these interactions. They also expressed their need for middle adolescents to demonstrate their gratitude and, for their part, to have opportunities to model respectful behaviour to middle adolescents. Respect as a construct is experienced by the older persons as an interactional manifestation of the current definitions and forms of respect as presented in literature. It is recommended that similar studies be done with other groups of older persons in order to obtain a broader view of how members of economically vulnerable communities experience respect in their relationships with middle adolescents. The data in this study demonstrate what current literature says about respect, and adds to previous research by achieving an understanding of how older persons’ experience the construct rather than exploring only the definition of respect or how it presents in intergenerational relationships. / MSc (Research Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Background and Purpose: Falls are the leading cause of accidental death among older adults. Reducing falls risk is one of the major safety concerns for older persons. More than one-third of people 65 years and older will experience one or more falls per year and nearly half of the people over 80 years of age will fall at least once each year. A key initial step in reducing falls is identifying those persons at highest risk so that they can be assessed and prescribed appropriate interventions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the capacity of a number of field and laboratory tests to identify fallers in a sample of older independently-living, community-dwelling persons. Participants: 66 healthy, independently living older persons, ages 60 and older. Method: During three visits to the laboratory, participants performed various field and laboratory balance tests. Field tests included the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), the One-Leg Stand Test (OLS), the Functional Reach Test (FR), and the Tinetti Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA). The laboratory tests included a center of pressure (COP) test with time-to-boundary (TTB) measurements on a force platform, and dynamic posturography using the Proprio 5000. Each participant was classified as a “faller” or “non-faller” based on whether he or she recalled experiencing a fall within the past year. Results: Receiver-operated characteristics (ROC) curve analyses (specificity and sensitivity throughout the measurement ranges) revealed the OLS and TUG field tests and selected Proprio 5000 and TTB variables had the best capacity to distinguish fallers from non-fallers. For both field and laboratory tests one-way ANOVA revealed between-group differences similar to those indicated by the ROC results. Discussion and Conclusion: Both selected field and laboratory tests could identify fallers (16 out of 66). In addition, the laboratory tests revealed balance decrements in specific planes of motion that provide information concerning directional falls risk and a offer a framework for the prescription of interventions to reduce that risk.

The increased longevity in contemporary western society is impacting on many service and caring organisations in that they are needing to find ways of responding to the increasing number of older persons who need support. The Church is not immune from this as statistics demonstrate that the age demographic within the Church is rapidly changing to include many more older persons. However, evidence is strong that the Church to date has not been as alert as it could have been to the implications of the ageing population, nor has it been awake to the potential available within adult ministry. Therefore scholars and gerontologists are strident in their attempts to wake the Church from its slumber with respect to responding to the ageing population. The impetus of this research was to determine how alert the Anglican Diocese of Perth is to this rapidly increasing age demographic, and how well equipped its clergy and lay pastoral workers are to respond to the increasing number of older persons both within the Church and within society. To achieve this, a survey was conducted amongst a selection of clergy and lay pastoral workers in the Diocese of Perth. As part of the survey, comments were sought from participants on how important they believed training in ministry to older persons was for them, and what factors would enable and encourage them to attend training in this area. The literature reviewed for this research, the survey results, and the ensuing discussion combine to underline the need for ministry to older persons to be taken seriously by the Church. As a way of stimulating interest, and equipping clergy and lay pastoral workers, in the area of pastoral care of older persons, this thesis provides the structure of a training programme that it is envisaged will be offered to the Anglican Diocese of Perth.