ADULT DAUGHTERS' RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR INSTITUTIONALIZED MOTHERS (ROLE, CHOSEN, DELEGATION, NURSING HOME).
Contributors: Rush University, College Of Nursing.
Published: 1986
Number of pages: 211
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Sociology, Individual and Family Studies.
Description: A qualitative research design using grounded theory methodology was used to study adult daughters' relationships during the transitional period following their mothers' institutionalization in a nursing home. The central question was: What characterized the relationship between adult daughters and their institutionalized mothers?.

A voluntary sample of 32 adult, white women, age (40-71), were interviewed during a six month period in a large Midwest metropolitan area. Their mothers, age (72-99), had been residents in nursing homes for three months to 14 years. In-depth interviews were used for data collection based on the theoretical perspective of symbolic interactionism. Using methods of qualitative analysis, two Basic Social Processes were named.

"Becoming the Chosen Daughter" was a Basic Social Psychological Process that occurred for those daughters who took on the responsibility of their institutionalized mothers. A matrix of role delegation and acceptance was developed for clarification of this process. These daughters either accepted, resented, or assumed their roles. Families either delegated or didn't delegate the roles to the chosen daughters. Becoming the chosen daughters resulted in profound changes in their lives. Changes in structural dimensions included: (a) time, (b) holidays, (c) vacations, (d) careers, (e) finances, (f) living arrangements, and (g) health. The phenomenon of family social support, or lack of such support, was an important social dimension. Guilt over institutionalization of their mothers and grief over their losses were of psychological importance.

The Basic Social Structural Process of "Redefining their Roles," delineated the reorganization process of daughters' role relationships with their mothers. The four stages of the process were, (a) pre-institutionalization, (b) post-immediate, (c) transitional, and (d) reorganizational. Three outcomes of role reorganization emerged: (a) role resolution, (b) role flux, and (c) role disorganization. Social-psychological and structural factors important to role reorganization were: (a) previous mother-daughter relationship, (b) philosophical/religious beliefs, (c) social support system, (d) emotional status, (e) attitude, (f) health, (g) finances, (h) career, and (i) mother's length of institutionalization.

Adult daughters reorganized their role relationships with their institutionalized mothers with the creation of new social worlds for themselves. Propositions were constructed which supported substantive role transitional theory for mother-daughter relationships in later life.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-01, Section: B, page: 0134.

Thesis (D.N.SC.)--RUSH UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF NURSING, 1986.

School code: 0591.