Many older couples face the dilemma of one of them developing an illness that results in their ability to cope with everyday living activities. The well spouse may struggle for many years with an increasing workload, both physical and mental. Ultimately, there may come a time, when nursing home placement becomes necessary. The aim of this research was to find out what the experience was like for the wife, with a husband who is ill and faces placement in a nursing home, and to determine whether nurses could do more to help them to cope with this difficult situation. Following ethics approval, nine wives were interviewed over a period of two years. Each of the experience was unique, but there were some common problems that many of the wives mentioned. Loneliness was considered by most of the wives as being extremely upsetting, even when they were living with other people, for example their children. The absence of their partner and long term confident was noticed particularly in the evening when, in the past, they had sat down together and watched television. Other reactions included guilt, grief, depression and a change in the husband/wife relationship. Many of the wives seemed to accept the situation, realising that they could no longer cope with their husband at home, they were also healthier than they had been when their husband was at home. This research has highlighted some important points when a wife finds herself in the situation of having to place her husband in a nursing home, although nurses are unable to assist with many of the effects on the wife of the placement, it is helpful to know that the friendliness of the staff, the care of the patient and the cleanliness and homeliness of the nursing home are helpful at this time / Master of Nursing (Hons)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/235291 |
| Date | January 1998 |
| Creators | Brown, Lynne M., University of Western Sydney, Faculty of Health Studies, School of Health and Nursing |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Source | THESIS_FHS_SHN_Brown_ L.xml |
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