Assessing the health of adult daughter former caregivers for elders with Alzheimer's disease

L'hébergement institutionnel d'un parent âgé ayant des pertes cognitives

This study examines the decision of institutionalizing an elderly parent suffering from cognitive impairments and the various people involved in this process: the elderly person, the informal caregiver, certain family members and health and social service professionals. Based on a qualitative analysis of interviews conducted with 16 elderly people and their family networks, this study reveals the importance of considering the point of view of everyone involved. The results show that one of the main reasons behind the decision to institutionalize an elderly person is the appearance of disturbing behaviours related to his or her cognitive impairments. Diverse strategies used by family members and health and social service professionals in order to bring about the institutionalization of an elderly person when he or she is opposed to it are presented as well as the ethical dilemmas this raises. We conclude with a presentation of research and intervention recommendations.

Iowa certified nursing assistants study: self-reported ratings of the nursing home work environment

Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are the principal bedside caregivers in nursing homes, yet little is known about their perceptions of the work environment. This population-based, cross-sectional study used a mailed questionnaire to a random sample of Iowa CNAs (N=584), representing 166 nursing homes. Of the respondents, 88.5% (n=517) were currently employed in long-term care settings; however, 11.5% (n=67) indicated they had left their jobs. When CNA responses were compared with those of other occupational groups, general workers reported higher scores on involvement, coworker cohesion, work pressure, and supervisor support. Those who left their CNA jobs rated their work environment as characteristic of excessive managerial control and task orientation. Results of this study emphasize the importance of the relationship between CNAs and their supervisors, CNAs' need for greater autonomy and innovation, and the need for the work environment to change dramatically in the area of human resource management.

Korean american family postcaregivers on dementia caregiving: a phenomenological inquiry

The purpose of this article is to understand dementia caregiving and postcaregiving experience from the Korean-American family caregiver perspective. In this transcendental phenomenological study, I analyzed both in-depth interviews from 8 caregivers and field notes with the procedure of Moustakas' (1994) modification of the Van Kaam method. Five core themes characterized participants' experiences: understanding elderly patients with Alzheimer's by accepting it as a disease; self-defining and self-appraising of caregivers; caregiving as a family affair while examining transgenerational continuity of filial piety; returning caregiving to caregivers in turn as a mode of mourning; and reviewing dissatisfying experiences with the formal care system. Based on a small but relatively heterogeneous sample, this study advances the understanding of the underlying, dynamic context of Korean-American family dementia caregiving and addresses certain implications of geriatric social work intervention for postcaregivers.