Help-seeking by older wife caregivers of demented husbands: a grounded theory approach

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of patterns of help seeking by older wife caregivers of demented husbands. Essential to an understanding of service utilization is an understanding of the more basic process of help-seeking.Research to date has largely concentrated on help-seeking as a variable, rather than as an independent entity.Grounded theory methodology with a nursing perspective of health as expanding consciousness, was used to explore interactions, thoughts and feelings associated with patterns of help-seeking by eleven older wife caregivers and allowed for a more holistic view of the process of help-seeking by these older women. This methodology led to discovery of a new substantive theory entitled Help-seeking choices: Taking one day at a time which was grounded in reality as experienced by the participants and illuminates help-seeking for this group of caregivers. The core category of reaching out/reaching within described the main phenomena of wives reaching out to involve both informal and formal sources and reaching within themselves to manage care and seek help on a day-to-day basis. Wives made choices to employ strategies of avoiding,shouldering and facing to accomplish continuing to provide care at home for the husbands. These choices were influenced by a myriad of facilitating and hindering intervening conditions.Understanding obtained from the study indicates that earlier screening and intervention are essential to assisting with identification of dementia and to help caregivers realize that a problem exists. Further suggestion is for more comprehensive case management across health care settings for this group, and a recognition of the impact of previous experiences on future health choices by these caregivers. The Importance of pattern recognition which enables caregivers to view, seek, and manage their husbands\u27 health care in creative ways is also indicated. Understanding gained may lead ultimately to the development of interventions which can increase the effectiveness of help-seeking patterns, result in more appropriate utilization of formal and informal resources, reduce burden and stress associated with the caregiving role, and assist women to sustain the caregiving role

Becoming an Older Volunteer: A Grounded Theory Study

This Grounded Theory study describes the process by which older persons “become” volunteers. Forty interviews of older persons who volunteered for Habitat for Humanity were subjected to secondary content analysis to uncover the process of “becoming” a volunteer. “Helping out” (core category) for older volunteers occurs within the context of “continuity”, “commitment” and “connection” which provide motivation for volunteering. When a need arises, older volunteers “help out” physically and financially as health and resources permit. Benefits described as “blessings” of volunteering become motivators for future volunteering. Findings suggest that older volunteering is a developmental process and learned behavior which should be fostered in older persons by personally inviting them to volunteer. Intergenerational volunteering projects will allow older persons to pass on knowledge and skills and provide positive role modeling for younger volunteers

The effects of sensory stimulation activities on the psychological well-being of advanced Alzheimer patients

There is an absence of nursing studies that explore interventions to enhance psychological well-being for advanced Alzheimer patients. While sensory stimulation has been identified as a nursing intervention for dementia patients. Few studies reporting the effects of such interventions for patients with late stage dementia are available. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of sensory stimulation activities on the psychological wellbeing of advanced Alzheimer patients. The conceptual model of “the good life” developed by Lawton (1983) provided the framework for this study. A descriptive design with a single group and pre-test post-test repeated measures analysis of variance was used for this study.A convenience sample of 15 patients from three Midwest long-term care facilities was observed for the effects of music. Touch and smell on psychological well-being as measured by the Discomfort Scale for Dementias of the Alzheimer Type (DS-DAT) (Hurley, Volicer, Hanrahan, Houde & Volicer, 1992). The rights of patients were protected at all times, with legal guardians receiving a written explanation of the study. Actual stimulation activities were conducted by Activity Directors or assistants from each facility.Paired t-test analysis of data revealed that DS-DAT scores for all three stimulation activities were significantly lower at <.05 level of significance than baseline DS-DAT scores. Lower DS-DAT scores included more positive affect behaviors and fewer negative affect behavior. A conclusion was drawn that the three sensory stimulation activities increased psychological well-being in the advanced Alzheimer patient sample. This study was significant because findings will support rationale for education of nursing staff in sensory stimulation procedures and provide information on evaluation of intervention outcomes for advanced Alzheimer patients.Thesis (M.S.)School of Nursin