AN ETHNONURSING STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF EXTENDED CAREGIVING ON THE HEALTH STATUS OF ELDERLY ANGLO-CANADIAN WIVES CARING FOR PHYSICALLY DISABLED HUSBANDS.
Contributors: Wayne State University.
Published: 1990
Number of pages: 309
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Anthropology, Cultural.; Gerontology.
Description: The purpose of this investigation was to identify, describe, interpret, and conduct an in-depth analysis of care meanings, practices, expressions, attitudes, and experiences of elderly Anglo-Canadian wives and their health status as they cared for their elderly disabled spouses over an extended period of time and within the context of their culture. Leininger's Theory of Cultural Care Diversity and Universality guided the study. Twelve Canadian key informants and 21 general informants wives of English, Scottish and Irish descent who were caring for physically disabled husbands participated in the study. Data were gathered using observation-participation-reflection, Leininger's Cultural Health Care Assessment Tool and Life Health-Care History as enabling tools, descriptions of a typical 24 hour day, and in-depth open-ended interviews. Leininger's phases of analysis for qualitative data directed the four phases of data analysis. The Leininger Templin Thompson (LTT) computer software assisted in the storage, sorting and retrieval of data.

The major findings of the study were related to cultural care commonalities and diversities. The five major themes or commonalities were: (1) Cultural care patterns of caregiving clearly influenced the health status of the elderly Anglo-Canadian spouse; (2) The meanings and experiences of female caregiving were primarily a reflection of cultural care values, social structure, and environmental context of elderly Anglo-Canadian wives: (3) Cultural transmission of female caregiving developed through an enculturation process for the elderly Anglo-Canadian wives of caring for others through the life cycle; and (4) Caring activity patterns of elderly Anglo-Canadian wives maintained health and well-being of themselves and others and were influenced largely by social structure and cultural values dimensions. Diverse findings discovered were: (1) potential for neglect; (2) caregiving by strangers; and (3) culture specific planning for care in the future. Generic care constructs of concern for, love (affectionate and spiritual), attention, duty, and obligation and care concepts of care commitment, continuous caring, care enculturation, other care, and care appreciation contribute to the professional nursing base of knowledge for elderly Anglo-Canadian caregivers. Proposals and recommendations for future nursing practice, theory and research were advanced.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-02, Section: B, page: 0746.

Thesis (PH.D.)--WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY, 1990.

School code: 0254.