Biomedical subjects

Catherine Ward-Griffin

Publications and source records attributed to Catherine Ward-Griffin.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

Mother-adult daughter relationships within dementia care: a critical analysis.

Evidence suggests that intergenerational caregiving between mothers and daughters will become increasingly common, and yet, we know very little about the specific relationships between adult daughters and their mothers with dementia. Guided by socialist-feminist theory and a life-course perspective, 15 mother-adult daughter dyads participated in two individual, semistructured interviews. Data analysis revealed four dynamic types of mother-daughter relationships: custodial, combative, cooperative, and cohesive. Custodial and cooperative relationships mainly focused on the provision of and receipt of tasks, whereas combative and cohesive are emotion focused. At the same time, custodial and combative relationships are based on deficits compared with strength based cohesive and cooperative relationships. In addition, certain contextual factors, such as expectations of care and levels of support, shaped the development of these relationships. Moreover, study findings highlight a number of implications for practice, policy, and research necessary to support individuals with dementia and their families.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2006

Client-centred empowering partnering in nursing.

AIM: This paper explores nurses' experiences 1 year after an organization's commitment to providing a client-centred and client-empowering partnering approach to care. BACKGROUND: Historically, nurses' approach to providing care in all nursing contexts has been one of doing for clients, and previous studies have focused more on in-hospital care than on home care. However, the isolation inherent in in-home nursing and nurses' limited professional autonomy and power associated with physician control over patients in home care have been reported, as has their difficulty in finding the meaning and satisfaction of human connectedness and mutuality in nurse-client relationships. Overall, research to date does not inform us about how nurses might make a change toward a more client-centred and client-empowering approach to nursing. METHODS: An interpretive phenomenological design was used to elicit in-depth understanding about Registered Nurses' experiences of providing care using this innovative empowerment model. A purposefully selected sample of eight Registered Nurses participated in in-depth interviews. Data were generated during 2002. Hermeneutic analysis was used to elicit themes and patterns emerging from the data. FINDINGS: Caring, client-centredness and the context of in-home care were important in implementing the new partnering approach. Barriers encountered at system, organizational and personal levels distracted nurses from fully comprehending and enacting the approach. After a year, they had begun to contemplate potential strategies for partnering with clients, but had not yet explored the power of their professional autonomy. CONCLUSION: Nurses are inclined to practise within the expert model of service delivery. They need to work through issues of professional autonomy and rise to the challenge of exercising their autonomy within the current healthcare context if they are to attend more consistently to client-centred empowering partnering. The home care setting offers an excellent environment for achieving these aims.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Surviving the tornado of mental illness: psychiatric survivors' experiences of getting, losing, and keeping housing.

This qualitative study explored experiences of psychiatric consumer-survivors related to housing. Nine focus groups involving 90 people were conducted in urban and rural areas in South-Western Ontario. A set of open-ended questions was used. Many participants described a devastating experience of losing much of what was important to them and going through a long arduous process to rebuild their lives. Group discussions were audiotaped and transcribed. Individual and team analyses of the transcripts revealed that psychiatric survivors experienced three levels of upheaval, loss, and destruction, similar to the effects of a tornado: losing ground, struggling to survive, and gaining stability. Within each of these levels, five major themes were identified: living in fear, losing control of basic human rights, attempting to hold onto and create relationships, identifying supports and seeking services, and obtaining personal space and place. A caring community response, including adequate housing, income support, and community care, can help people rebuild their lives.

Disasters↗

PubMed2006

Perspectives of women with dementia receiving care from their adult daughters.

The caregiving experience within Alzheimer disease is fairly well documented. However, little research has been conducted from the perspective of the person living with dementia. The purpose of this study, part of a larger qualitative investigation of mother-daughter relationships within the care process of dementia, was to elicit the perceptions and experiences of mothers receiving care from their adult daughters. Guided by feminist and life-course perspectives, the researchers conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a diverse sample of 10 community-dwelling women with mild to moderate cognitive impairment. In general, the health perceptions and experiences of the women were shaped by gender and how its meaning is constructed. While mothers reported mostly positive relationships with their daughters, cultural ideologies of individualism and familism manifested in feelings of "grateful guilt." Participants managed their contradictory experiences of receiving care from their daughters by doing care, undemanding care, determining care, and accepting care. The authors recommend changes in practice, policy, and research, with the aim of addressing relevant social determinants of health such as gender and social support, thereby promoting the health and well-being of women with dementia.

Adult Children↗

PubMed2005

Canadian families caring for members with mental illness: a vicious cycle.

The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to explore the perspectives of individuals who were caring for a family member with a mental illness, with particular attention to housing, quality of supports, and formal care services. Eleven focus groups with family caregivers (N = 75) were conducted. Both individual and team thematic analyses were undertaken until interpretations of the experiences of the participants were inductively developed and conceptualized into a holistic interpretation. Findings revealed that family caregivers were part of a "circle of care," supporting the independence of the individual with mental illness while attempting to protect their family member with mental illness. However, findings suggested that this circle of care led to a "vicious cycle" of caregiving. Three major themes were identified: witnessing inadequacies, working behind the scenes, and creating a better world. Health-promoting family nursing practice and policy implications, as well as areas for further research, are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Falls and fear of falling among community-dwelling seniors: the dynamic tension between exercising precaution and striving for independence.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the everyday experience of community-dwelling elders, with particular attention to seniors' perceptions of safety, fear of falling, independence, and quality of life. We also aimed to identify contextual factors that influence the health of elders who had fallen and/or had a fear of falling. Data from in-depth interviews with a purposeful sample (n = 9) of elders were analysed using interpretative analysis procedures. Both individual and team analysis was undertaken until interpretations of the experiences of the participants were inductively developed and crystallized into a holistic interpretation of the participants' shared experience. The holistic experience was comprised of two opposing, dynamic life forces: exercising precaution and striving for independence. Within each life force, participants used five major strategies that simultaneously constrained and expanded their life space. Health-promoting practice and policy implications, as well as areas for further research, are discussed.

Accidental Falls↗

PubMed2004

Flexible client-driven in-home case management: an option to consider.

Changes in health services and care needs have created high demand for case management of in-home services. To address this challenge, several models of case management have been used. Evaluations to date suggest that clients need different approaches for different circumstances at different times to optimize cost-effectiveness. Accordingly, one Canadian home care program adopted flexible client-driven case management engaging clients as partners in flexibly selecting either an integrated team, consumer-managed or brokerage model of case management in keeping with their preferences and abilities. Using an exploratory, multimeasure quasi-experimental design, a generic model of program evaluation, and both quantitative and qualitative methods, researchers identified challenges in implementing this intervention, policy impediments the clients characteristically in each of the three case management models, and client, provider, and caregiver outcomes of flexible, client-driven care. While further longitudinal investigation is needed findings suggest several important considerations for those interested in this option for care management. Alternative case management models do attract different client groups, and having a choice does not alter care costs or outcomes. Flexible client-driven case management may be experienced positively by case managers and other providers.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

Nurses as caregivers of elderly relatives: negotiating personal and professional boundaries.

Recent changes in patterns of care provision for the elderly have led to an increasing reliance on family care. Although caring has been found to be a central and common feature of the personal and professional lives of many women, this paper discusses the challenges faced by women who provide care in both their work and their family lives ("double-duty caregivers"). The author argues that the separation of paid caregiving and unpaid family caregiving in the conceptualization of elder care is problematic, particularly for health-care professionals. Findings from a qualitative study with registered nurses providing care to elderly relatives revealed that these women are located at the juncture of public and private domains of caregiving, where they must constantly negotiate the boundaries between their professional and personal caregiving roles. The findings highlight the need to explore the interface between women's family and work lives and the need for policies that promote the health of double-duty caregivers.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2003

Relationships between families and registered nurses in long-term-care facilities: a critical analysis.

Although much has been written about the relationship between families and nurses, little systematic analysis has been undertaken of this dyadic relationship in long-term care (LTC). Using a critical ethnographic approach, the researchers conducted separate in-depth interviews with 17 family-nurse dyads caring for residents with Alzheimer disease or a related disorder in one LTC setting. Analysis of interview transcripts and fieldnotes revealed 4 types of family-nurse relationships--conventional, competitive, collaborative, and "carative"--each reflecting the roles of nurse and family, negotiating strategies, and consequences. In addition, it became apparent that intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence the development of certain types of relationships. The findings have implications for nursing practice, policy development, and further research within LTC settings.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Patient empowerment after total hip and knee replacement.

PURPOSE: This research was designed to gain an enhanced understanding of empowerment within in-home care relationships after hospital discharge of elderly patients who had undergone total hip or total knee replacement. METHOD: An interpretive phenomenology method was used. SAMPLE: Nine participants were interviewed on audiotape, guided by a semistructured interview guide. Five themes emerged centering on a strong desire to maintain independence. Overall, participants experienced disempowered relationships with professional in-home care providers and a more equitable empowered relationship with nonprofessional care providers. CONCLUSION: Disempowered relationships with professional personnel were not identified as a dissatisfier to most participants. Rather, patients expressed deference to the traditional expert model of healthcare. Further investigation is needed to understand the effect of empowerment on client satisfaction and clinical outcomes.

Activities of Daily Living↗