Biomedical subjects

V R Strang

Publications and source records attributed to V R Strang.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

Caregiver respite: coming back after being away.

Respite services are seen as one key formal support intervention mitigating the negative consequences of family caregiving. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the caregivers' respite experience influenced their return to the responsibilities of caring for their family members. The discussion is based on a qualitative interpretative study with 20 caregivers exploring the meaning of respite to family caregivers of persons with dementia. Although the beneficial effect of the emotional and physical refreshment and renewal was evident throughout, there were notable variations in how caregivers experienced their return to caregiver responsibilities. Some experienced short-term despondency and feelings of 'let-down' while others felt guilty and emotionally devastated when they returned. Three factors emerged which related to the differential caregiver experiences: the amount of time and quality of the respite interval; the nature and quality of the respite help that was used for the dependent family member; and the condition of their dementia family member when the caregiver resumed the caregiver role. Clinicians must recognize that these factors strongly influence how the responsibilities of caregiving are resumed. Researchers must explore for additional factors which detract from the anticipated positive effects of the caregiver respite experience. Clarification of these factors can provide guidance to service providers to develop respite services that are more attuned to the caregivers' perceptions of benefit for themselves and for their dependent family members.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

Experiencing control in caregiving.

PURPOSE: To describe the experience of control as perceived by family caregivers who care for relatives with dementia to determine how caregivers manage care at home. The ability to manage care effectively at home is important because of the rise in the number of family caregivers. DESIGN: Descriptive using secondary analysis of qualitative data. The sample was 21 family caregivers of relatives with dementia, 4 men and 17 women, from one medium-sized city in Canada. METHODS: Grounded-theory methods were used for the secondary analysis of data completed in 1997 from a previous 1995 study of caregivers. RESULTS: The experience of control was related to how caregivers managed or coped with their caregiving situations. The dimensions of control were characterized as either "maintaining control" or as "lacking control" with each dimension relating to caregivers' beliefs about caregiving. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study can help nurses intervene more effectively with family caregivers by recognizing how caregivers manage and whether they need assistance to continue to provide care. The proposed model is a starting point for further research on control and coping; it also provides direction for practice.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1999

Respite--a coping strategy for family caregivers.

The caregiver respite experience is seen as one way to moderate the negative consequences of caregiving. From an interpretivist research orientation, this study explored how 10 family caregivers of persons with dementia experienced respite. From a coping theoretical perspective, the caregiver respite experience is discussed as a process of "getting out" of the caregiver world, and is linked to avoidance strategies of emotion-focused coping. The following three phases within the coping dimension of the respite experience were found: caregivers recognizing their need to get out of the caregiver world, giving themselves permission to actually get out from it temporarily, and having the appropriate social support resources available to facilitate the getting out. The critical practice and research implications linked to caregivers' ability to acknowledge their need for respite are described.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1997

Secondary analysis of qualitative data.

Secondary analysis of qualitative data is a valid mode of clinical inquiry. However, there is limited information available on its use in nursing. This article describes the use of secondary analysis for a study of family caregivers of relatives with dementia. The advantages, limitations, and application of secondary analysis are outlined; data management, analysis, and rigor are also discussed. The article concludes that this method is cost-effective, decreases respondent burden, and is a useful research method for students. However, the secondary analyst must be aware of the limitations of using secondary analysis of qualitative data.

Caregivers↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Body image attitudes during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Research was conducted to investigate postpartal women's attitudes toward their body image; these attitudes were then compared to their pre-pregnant and pregnant body image attitudes. A repeated measures design was used, with data collected at two and six weeks postpartum. Pregnant and pre-pregnant attitudes were collected retrospectively. A nonrandom, convenience sample of 63 multiparas and primiparas was used. The results indicated that the subjects had a slightly positive attitude toward their postpartum body image; multiparas felt more positive about their postpartum body image than did the primiparas; the women felt more positive about their pre-pregnant body image than about their postpartum body image; and the women felt more positive about their postpartum body image than about their pregnant body image.

Adult↗