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The caregiving process of the family unit caring for a frail older family member at home: a grounded theory study
Author(s) -
Kita Motoko,
Ito Keiichi
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
international journal of older people nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.707
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 1748-3743
pISSN - 1748-3735
DOI - 10.1111/j.1748-3743.2012.00337.x
Subject(s) - grounded theory , family member , psychology , gerontology , theoretical sampling , coping (psychology) , unit (ring theory) , qualitative research , nursing , social psychology , medicine , clinical psychology , family medicine , sociology , social science , mathematics education
kita m. & ito k. (2013) The caregiving process of the family unit caring for a frail older family member at home: a grounded theory study. International Journal of Older People Nursing 8 , 149–158
doi: 10.1111/j.1748‐3743.2012.00337.x Aims and objectives. To explore the caregiving process of family units caring for a frail older family member at home. Background. Previous research on family caregiving has demonstrated the interdependence between individual members’ health and family status and suggested the importance of support provided to the family as a unit. However, little research that could be used as the basis for nursing interventions has focused on the caregiving process of the family unit caring for a frail older family member in the community. Design. The grounded theory approach was applied in this study. Methods. Eighteen families were recruited using the method of theoretical sampling. Data were collected through face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews. Constant comparative analysis proceeded with data collection. Findings. Two core categories were identified: ‘degree of routinisation of daily life’ and ‘degree of minimisation of competing needs within the family’. The caregiving process was classified according to the core categories into the following four phases: confusion, fluctuating disharmony, stable disharmony and stable harmony. The conditions for the routinisation and the competing needs and coping strategies of the family were also clarified. Conclusions. To lead a stable family life, families caring for a frail older member try to control the competing needs among members and routinise by adopting various strategies. Nurses should support or enhance such family action and interactions. Implications for practice. The degrees of daily life routinisation and of minimising competing needs within a family can be used to assess families caring for a frail older member. Nurses can determine the current state of the caregiving family from these two aspects and support family strategies that build daily routines and regulate their competing needs.