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Elderly Married Persons Living in Long Term Care Institutions: A Qualitative Analysis of Feelings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2008

James W. Gladstone
James W. Gladstone
Affiliation:
School of Social Work, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8S 4M4.
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Abstract

This paper focuses on the feelings that institutionalised and community-dwelling spouses have in regard to their own or their spouse's living in a long-term care facility. Qualitative data were gathered from 161 married respondents. Themes associated with positive feelings included: benefit to self, benefits to spouse, reappraisal of self as caregiver, and appraisal of institutionalisation. Themes associated with negative feelings included: concern about institutionalised partner's care, tension with staff, stress associated with visiting, loss of purpose, loneliness, privacy, and tissues related to the marital relationship. Data indicate that feelings about institutionalisation must be analysed in various contexts. Implications for service delivery are discussed.

Keywords

Elderly married coupleslong-term careinstitutional relocation.
Type
Research Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 15 , Issue 4 , December 1995 , pp. 493 - 513
Copyright
Copyright Cambridge University Press 1995

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