Abstract
This qualitative study focuses on nurse assistant reports of both positive and negative behaviors exhibited by family members of cognitively impaired residents. The information reported is obtained from in-person interviews with 114 nurse assistants in 5 skilled nursing facilities (3 philanthropic, 2 proprietary) in Greater Cleveland, Ohio. Nurse assistants were predominantly female (89 percent), white (60 percent), with a mean age of 33, and had been caring for cognitively impaired nursing home residents for an average of five years.
Content analyses of nurse assistants’ responses reveal five categories of family members’ positive behaviors and four categories of negative behaviors. This article focuses on these themes and suggests topics for educational interventions for family members and nurse assistants who care for cognitively impaired nursing home residents. Topics include coping with family members’ feelings of guilt and related behaviors, understanding longstanding family relationship issues, and understanding possible reasons for decisions family members make regarding care of their relatives.
Keywords: cognitively impaired residents, family members, negative behavior, nurse assistants, positive behavior
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (126.5 KB).
References
- Albanese T, Blackmon DJ, Garland TN, et al.: Factors affecting quality of care in the nursing home: Views of licensed nurses and nurse assistants. Paper presented at North Central Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1997. [Google Scholar]
- Mercer SO, Heacock P, Beck C: Nurse's aides in nursing homes: A study of caregivers. J Women Aging. 1994; 6: 107-121. [Google Scholar]
- Maas M, Buckwalter KC, Swanson E, et al.: The caring partnership: Staff and families of persons institutionalized with Alzheimer's disease. Am J Alzheimer's Care. 1994; November/December: 21-30. [Google Scholar]
- Gipson GA, Albanese T, Blackmon DJ, et al.: The missing link: Nurse assistants’ views on quality care. J Nurs Assistants. 1997; March: 10-12. [Google Scholar]
- Heiselman T, Noelker LS: Enhancing mutual respect among nursing assistants, residents, and residents’ families. Gerontologist. 1991; 31: 552-555. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Vinton L, Mazza N: Aggressive behavior directed at nursing home personnel by residents’ family members. Gerontologist. 1994; 34: 528-533. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Schwartz AN, Vogel ME: Nursing home staff and residents’ families role expectations. Gerontologist. 1990; 30: 49-53. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Duncan MT, Morgan, DL: Sharing the caring: Family caregivers’ views of their relationships with nursing home staff. Gerontologist. 1994; 34: 235-244. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wilken CS, Farran CJ, Hellen CR, et al.: Partners in care: A program for family caregivers and nursing home staff. Am J Alzheimer's Care. 1992; July/August: 8-14, 22. [Google Scholar]