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The Role of Adult Children in Helping Chronically Ill Hospitalized Parents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Barry L. Hall
Barry L. Hall
Affiliation:
The University of Calgary
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Abstract

The study identified the types of help provided by 27 adult children to their hospitalized chronically ill parents. The investigation further examined the child's helping behavior in relation to stress and strain, as well as dependence of the parent on the child. The results demonstrated that despite profound stress and strain felt by children, they still provided a range of helping behaviors within the formal caregiving structures of the acute care hospital. Dependence was a weak indicator of the adult child's helping behavior, while stress was a stronger indicator.

Résumé

Cette étude identifie les types de services que 27 adultes enfants offrent à leurs parents hospitalisés pour maladies chroniques. De plus, l'étude examine le comportement obligeant de l'enfant relativement aux pressions, à la tension, ainsi que la dépendance du parent à l'égard de l'enfant. Selon les résultats, les enfants continuent d'offrir une variété de services à l'intérieur des structures formelles de centres hospitaliers à soins actifs et ce en dépit des énormes pressions qu'ils ressentent. La dépendance s'avère un faible indicateur du comportement obligeant de l'adulte enfant, tandis que le stress est un indicateur plus prononcé.

Keywords

agingcaregivingfamily relationshipschronic illness.
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , Spring/printemps 1989 , pp. 68 - 78
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1989

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