Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-04T09:21:54.728Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Sense of community in long-term care: the views of family caregivers of elderly military veterans

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 November 2012

Ana Petrovic-Poljak  and
Candace Konnert
Ana Petrovic-Poljak*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Candace Konnert
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Ana Petrovic-Poljak, Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. N.W., Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada. Phone: +1-403-220-4975; Fax: +1-403-282-8249. Email: [email protected].
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background: Family involvement in long-term care (LTC) is important but it can prove challenging and result in conflict with staff if families do not feel connected to the LTC facility or if they believe that their contributions are undervalued. According to McMillan & Chavis (1986), sense of community (SOC) refers to a feeling of belonging, having influence, having needs met, and having an emotional connection to individuals in a community, and may be particularly essential for family caregivers of military veterans in LTC. This is the first study that evaluates SOC among family caregivers in LTC.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews and self-report questionnaires assessing caregiver demographics, caregiving variables, and SOC were administered to 46 family caregivers.

Results: Caregivers endorsed a SOC that was positively related to key caregiving variables, such as family adjustment and satisfaction with care, and was negatively related to conflict with staff. Notably, caregivers’ connections to the military community were positively related to SOC in LTC. Multiple regression analyses indicated that satisfaction with care accounted for the most variance in SOC (32.7%).

Conclusions: This is the first study that examines SOC among family caregivers of military veterans in LTC, a subgroup of family caregivers with unique histories and needs. Although there are measures designed to assess family members’ level of satisfaction with different facets of LTC, SOC provides unique information about whether family members feel part of the LTC community as valued partners in care. SOC is an important yet understudied construct that could contribute substantially to our understanding of family-focused care.

Keywords

long-term carefamily caregivingsense of communityveteransconflict
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 25 , Issue 3 , March 2013 , pp. 390 - 402
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ahern, M. M., Hendryx, M. S. and Siddhartan, K. (1996). The importance of sense of community on people's perceptions of their health care experiences. Medical Care, 34, 911–923.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Austin, W.et al. (2009). Supporting relationships between family and staff in continuing care settings. Journal of Family Nursing, 15, 360–383. doi:10.1177/1074840709339781.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bauer, M. and Nay, R. (2003). Family and staff partnerships in long-term care: a review of the literature. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 29, 45–53.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blatt, R. and Camden, C. T. (2007). Positive relationships and cultivating community. In Dutton, J. E. and Ragins, B. R. (eds.), Exploring Positive Relationships at Work: Building a Theoretical and Research Foundation (pp. 243–264). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Bowen, G. L., Mancini, J. A., Martin, J. A., Ware, W. B. and Nelson, J. P. (2003). Promoting the adaptation of military families: an empirical test of a community practice model. Family Relations, 52, 33–44. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3729.2003.00033.x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brodsky, A. (1996). Resilient single mothers in risky neighborhoods: negative psychological sense of community. Journal of Community Psychology, 24, 347–363. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1520-6629(199610)24:4<347::AID-JCOP5>3.0.CO;2-R.3.0.CO;2-R>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Catano, V. M., Pretty, G. M., Southwell, R. R. and Cole, G. K. (1993). Sense of community and union participation. Psychological Reports, 72, 333–334.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chapman, S. A., Keating, N. and Eales, K. (2003). Client-centred, community-based care for frail seniors. Health and Social Care in the Community, 11, 253–261.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chavis, D. M. and Pretty, G. M. H. (1999). Sense of community: advances in measurement and application. Journal of Community Psychology, 27, 635–642. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1520-6629(199911)27:6<635::AID-JCOP1>3.0.CO;2-F.3.0.CO;2-F>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chavis, D. M., Hogge, J., McMillan, D. and Wandersman, A. (1986). Sense of community through Brunswicks’ lens: a first look. Journal of Community Psychology, 14, 24–40. doi:10.1002/1520-6629(198601)14:1<24::AID-JCOP2290140104>3.0.CO;2-F.3.0.CO;2-P>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, C. K., Sabir, M., Zimmerman, S., Suitor, J. and Pillemer, K. (2007). The importance of family relationships with nursing facility staff for family caregiver burden and depression. The Journals of Gerontology, 62B, 253–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cicchetti, D. V. (1994). Guidelines, criteria, and rules of thumb for evaluating normed and standardized assessment instruments in psychology. Psychological Assessment, 6, 284–290.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davidson, W. B. and Cotter, P. R. (1991). The relationship between sense of community and subjective well-being: a first look. Journal of Community Psychology, 19, 246–253. doi:10.1002/1520-6629(199107)19:3<246::AID-JCOP2290190308>3.0.CO;2-L.3.0.CO;2-L>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davidson, W., Cotter, P. R. and Stovall, J. G. (1991). Social predispositions for the development of sense of community. Psychological Reports, 68, 817–818.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, L. and Buckwalter, K. (2001). Family caregiving after nursing home admission. Journal of Mental Health and Aging, 7, 361–379.Google Scholar
Derogatis, L. R. (2000). Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18). Minnesota: Pearson Assessments.Google Scholar
Farran, C. J. (2001). Family caregiver intervention research: where have we been? Where are we going? Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 27, 38–45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Forster, P. M. (2004). Psychological sense of community in groups on the internet. Behaviour Change, 21, 141–146. doi:10.1375/bech.21.2.141.55421.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gaugler, J. E. (2005). Family involvement in residential long-term care: a synthesis and critical review. Aging and Mental Health, 9, 105–118. doi:10.1080/13607860412331310245.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gaugler, J. E., Anderson, K. A., Zarit, S. H. and Pearlin, L. I. (2004). Family involvement in the nursing home: effects on stress and well-being. Aging and Mental Health, 8, 65–75. doi:10.1080/13607860310001613356.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gladstone, J. W. and Wexler, E. (2002). Exploring the relationships between families and staff caring for residents in long-term care facilities: family members’ perspectives. Canadian Journal on Aging, 21, 39–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grabowski, D.C. and Mitchell, S. L. (2009). Family oversight and the quality of nursing home care for residents with advanced dementia. Medical Care, 47, 568–574.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Haesler, E., Bauer, M. and Nay, R. (2007). Staff-family relationships in the care of older people: a report on a systematic review. Research in Nursing and Health, 30, 385–398. doi:10.1002/nur.20200.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Halamova, J. (2001). Psychological sense of community: examining McMillian–Chavis’ and Peck's concepts. Studia Psychologica, 43, 137–148.Google Scholar
Hertzberg, A., Ekman, S.-L. and Axelsson, K. (2003). “Relatives are a resource, but. . .”: registered nurses’ views and experience of relatives of residents in nursing homes. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 12, 431–441. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2702.2003.00761.x.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Idler, E. L. and Benyamini, Y. (1997). Self-rated health and mortality: a review of twenty-seven community studies. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 38, 21–37.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ingersoll-Dayton, B., Morgan, D. and Antonucci, T. (1997). Effects of positive and negative social exchanges on aging adults. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 52B, S190–S199. doi:10.1093/geronb/52B.4.S190.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kellett, U. M. (1999). Searching for new possibilities to care: a qualitative analysis of family caring involvement in nursing homes. Nursing Inquiry, 6, 9–16. doi:10.1046/j.1440-1800.1999.00003.x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kemp, C. L., Ball, M. M., Perkins, M. M., Hollingsworth, C. and Lepore, M. J. (2009). I get along with most of them: direct care workers’ relationships with residents’ families in assisted living. The Gerontologist, 49, 224–235. doi:10.1093/geront/gnp025.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kiely, D. K., Simon, S. E., Jones, R. N. and Morris, J. N. (2000). The protective effect of social engagement on mortality in long-term care. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 48, 1367–1372. doi:10.1016/S0895-4356(03)00030-1.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maas, M. and Buckwalter, K. C. (1990). Nursing Evaluation Research: Alzheimer's Care Unit. Maryland: NIH Center for Nursing Research.Google Scholar
Maddox, G. L. and Douglas, E. B. (1972). Self-assessment of health: a longitudinal study of elderly subjects. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 14, 87–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Majerovitz, S. D., Mollot, R. J. and Rudder, C. (2009). We're on the same side: improving communication between nursing home and family. Health Communication, 24, 12–20. doi:10.1080.10410230802606950.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Manguno-Mire, G.et al. (2007). Psychological distress and burden among female partners of combat veterans with PTSD. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 195, 144–151. doi:10.1097/01.nmd.0000254755.53549.69.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mashek, D., Cannaday, L.W. and Tangney, J.P. (2007). Inclusion of community in self scale: a single-item pictorial measure of community connectedness. Journal of Community Psychology, 35, 257–275. doi:10.1002/jcop.20146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McMillan, D. and Chavis, D. (1986). Sense of community: a definition and theory. Journal of Community Psychology, 14, 6–23. doi:10.1002/1520-6629(198601)14:1<6::AID-JCOP2290140103>3.0.CO;2-I.3.0.CO;2-I>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moos, R. H. and Lemke, S. (1994). Group Residences for Older Adults: Physical Features, Policies, and Social Climate. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Perneger, T.V. (1998). What's wrong with Bonferroni adjustments. BMJ, 316, 1236–1238.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Peterson, N. A., Speer, P. W. and McMillan, D. W. (2008). Validation of a brief sense of community scale: confirmation of the principal theory of sense of community. Journal of Community Psychology, 36, 61–73. doi:10.1002/jcop.20217.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Petkus, A. J., Gum, A. M., Small, B., Malcarne, V. L., Stein, M. B. and Wetherell, J. B. (2010). Evaluation of the factor structure and psychometric properties of the brief symptom inventory-18 with homebound older adults. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 25, 578–587. doi:10.1002/gps.2377.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roussi, P., Rapti, F. and Kiosseoglou, G. (2006). Coping and psychological sense of community: an exploratory study of urban and rural areas in Greece. Anxiety, Stress and Coping: An International Journal, 19, 161–173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Royal, M. A. and Rossi, R. J. (1996). Individual-level correlates of sense of community: findings from workplace and school. Journal of Community Psychology, 24, 395–416. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1520-6629(199610)24:4<395::AID-JCOP8>3.0.CO;2-T.3.0.CO;2-T>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Settersten, R. A. (2006). When nations call: how wartime military service matters for the life course and aging. Research on Aging, 28, 12–36. doi:10.1177/0164027505281577.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Specht, J. K. P., Park, M., Maas, M. L., Reed, D., Swanson, E. and Buckwalter, K. C. (2005). Interventions for residents with dementia and their family and staff caregivers: evaluating the effectiveness of measures of outcomes in long-term care. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 31, 6–14.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Struthers, J. (2007). “They suffered with us and should be compensated”: entitling caregivers of Canada's veterans. Canadian Journal on Aging, 26, 117–131. doi:10.1353/cja.2008.0009.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Veterans Affairs Canada (1994). Review of Veterans’ Care Needs Focus Groups. Prince Edward Island, Canada: Veterans Affairs Canada. Available at: https://www.acc-vac.gc.ca/content/needs/pollrep.pdf.Google Scholar
Whitlatch, C. J., Schur, D., Noelker, L. S., Ejaz, F. K. and Looman, W. J. (2001). The stress process of family caregiving in institutional settings. The Gerontologist, 41, 462–473. doi:10.1093/geront/41.4.462.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wombacher, J., Tagg, S. K., Burgi, T. and MacBryde, J. (2010). Measuring sense of community in the military: cross-cultural evidence for the validity of the brief sense of community scale and its underlying theory. Journal of Community Psychology, 38, 671–687. doi:1002/jcop.20388.CrossRefGoogle Scholar