Skip to main content
PMC home page
American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias logoLink to American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias
. 2001 Jan-Feb;16(1):32–42. doi: 10.1177/153331750101600102

Relinquishing in-home dementia care: Difficulties and preceived helpfulness during the nursing home trasition

Joseph E Gaugler 1, Leonard I Pearlin 2, Sara A Leitsch 3, Adam Davey 4
PMCID: PMC10832641  PMID: 11416946

Abstract

Institutionalization of an elderly relative suffering from dementia is a key transition in the caregiving career. This study determines factors that predict the problems and help dementia caregivers perceive while institutionalizing an elderly relative. By using a sample of 185 dementia caregivers interviewed before and after institutionalization, the authors conducted a multivariate regression to identify relevant predictors of search difficulties, professional help, and family help during the nursing home transition. The personal and social resources of caregivers prior to placement (e.g., mastery, family conflict, socioemotional support, duration of care, education, and physical health) were reliable predictors of search difficulties and perceived helpfulness. Such findings will prove useful to long-term care practitioners who wish to facilitate the institutionalization process for caregiving families.

Keywords: dementia, family caregivers, long-term care, nursing home, psychosocial support, socioemotional support

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (168.7 KB).

Contributor Information

Joseph E. Gaugler, Program in Gerontology, Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.

Leonard I. Pearlin, Department of Sociology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.

Sara A. Leitsch, Department of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Adam Davey, Department of Child and Family Development and Faculty of Gerontology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.

References

  1. Aneshensel CS , Pearlin LI, Mullan JT, et al.: Profiles in Caregiving: The Unexpected Career. San Diego: Academic Press, 1995. [Google Scholar]
  2. Dellasega C , Mastrian K: The process and consequences of institutionalizing an elder. Western Journal of Nursing Research. 1995; 17(2): 123-140. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dellasega C , Nolan M: Admission to care: Facilitating role transition amongst family carers. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 1997; 6: 443-451. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Kellett UM : Transition in care: Family carers' experience of nursing home placement. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 1999; 29(6): 1474-1481. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Reinardy JR : Decisional control in moving into a nursing home: Post-admission adjustment and well-being. The Gerontologist. 1992; 32(1): 96-103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Craig MH , Dippel RL: Selecting a nursing home. In Dippel RL, Hutton JT (eds.): Caring for the Alzheimer Patient: A Practical Guide. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books, 1988: 142-159. [Google Scholar]
  7. Johnson RA , Schwiebert VB, Rosenmann PA: Factors influencing nursing home placement decisions. Clinical Nursing Research. 1994; 3(3): 269-281. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Sims S , Boland D, O'Neill C: Decision making in home health care. Western Journal of Nursing Research. 1992; 14(2): 186-200. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Haley WE : Group intervention for dementia family caregivers: A longitudinal perspective. The Gerontologist. 1989; 29: 478-483. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Miller B , Campbell RT, Farran CJ, et al.: Race, control, mastery, and caregiver distress. Journal of Gerontology. 1995; 50: S374-S382. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Travis SS , McAuley WJ: Searches for a nursing home: Personal and situational factors. Journal of Applied Gerontology. 1998; 17(3): 352-370. [Google Scholar]
  12. Pearlin LI , Mullan JT, Semple SJ, Skaff MM: Caregiving and the stress process: An overview of concepts and their measures. The Gerontologist. 1990; 30: 583-594. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Gaugler JE , Kane RA, Langlois J: Assessment of family caregivers of older adults. In Kane RL, Kane RA (eds.): Assessing the Well-Being of Older People: Measures, Meaning, and Practical Applications. New York: Oxford University Press. 2000; 320-359. [Google Scholar]
  14. Derogatis LR , Lipman RS, Covi L, Rickels K: Neurotic symptom dimensions. Archives of General Psychiatry. 1971; 24: 454-464. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Jöreskog KG , Sörbom D: LISREL VIII: Structural Equation Modeling with the SIMPLIS Command Language. Chicago: Scientific Software International. 1993. [Google Scholar]
  16. Aneshensel CS , Pearlin LI, Schuler RH: Stress, role captivity, and the cessation of caregiving. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 1993; 34: 54-70. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Schumacker R , Lomax RG: A Beginner's Guide to Structural Equation Modeling. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1996. [Google Scholar]
  18. Gaston P : Families as an integral part of dementia care. In Aronson MK (ed.): Reshaping Dementia Care: Practice and Policy in Long-Term Care. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 1994: 69-88. [Google Scholar]
  19. Bowers BJ : Family perceptions of care in a nursing home. The Gerontologist. 1988; 28(3): 361-368. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Duncan MT , Morgan DL: Sharing the caring: Family caregivers' views of their relationships with nursing home staff. The Gerontologist. 1994; 34(2): 235-244. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Kane RA , Wilson KB: Assisted Living in the United States: A New Paradigm for Residential Care for Frail Older Persons. Washington, DC: American Association of Retired Persons, 1993. [Google Scholar]
  22. Pruchno RA , Rose MS: The effects of long-term care environments on health outcomes. The Gerontologist. 2000; 40(4): 422-428. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias are provided here courtesy of SAGE Publications

RESOURCES