APPLICATION OF AGUILERA'S CRISIS MODEL TO CAREGIVERS OF ELDERS RELOCATING TO NURSING HOMES (AGING).
Contributors: University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Published: 1993
Number of pages: 129
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Gerontology.; Psychology, Social.
Description: Aguilera's crisis model was applied to caregivers of elders relocating to nursing homes. The study ascertained the differences between caregivers who experienced relocation of an elder as a crisis and those who did not. Differences were examined in caregivers' perceptions of elders relocating to nursing homes, situational support received by caregivers when elders were in the process of relocating, coping mechanisms used by caregivers, and selected demographic characteristics.

The sample consisted of 65 caregivers who were providing care for an elder who was 65 years of age or older. Due to missing data, 46 cases were used in the discriminate analysis to test the hypothesis. The null hypothesis stating that there were no differences in the two groups of caregivers was rejected. The findings indicated that there were differences in marital status, years of school, perception, and ways of coping. Wilks' lambdas and significance levels for the discriminating variables are as follows: primary appraisal,.89,.028; distancing,.83,.020; marital status,.79,.019; years of school,.75,.018; accepting responsibility,.72,.022; and escape avoidance,.69,.019. Discriminant classification indicated that caregivers experiencing a crisis were likely to be correctly identified 74.3% of the time, while caregivers not experiencing a crisis were likely to be correctly identified 66.7% of the time. The percentage of cases correctly classified was 70.77%. The eigenvalue was.4454 indicating a moderate discriminate function score. Scores for situational support did not discriminate between the two groups of caregivers. Since the null hypothesis was rejected and differences were found in the two groups, it was concluded that Aguilera's model was supported by this study. However, further research with the model is indicated.

It is important that nurses be aware that caregivers in the process of relocating an elder to a nursing home may experience a crisis. Nurses should be prepared to assess caregivers and provide crisis intervention as discussed by Aguilera.

Recommendations based on the results of this study include replication of the study using the same population or one experiencing a different crisis and continued utilization of Aguilera's model as a framework for nursing practice, nursing education, and nursing research.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-03, Section: B, page: 1337.

Thesis (D.S.N.)--UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM, 1993.

School code: 0005.