This article strives to share research findings concerning the rights and empowerment of the elderly living in various long-term care (LTC) or residential care facilities (public and private sectors) in Quebec, Canada. Inspired by the theories of constructivism, the research aims to understand the residents' perception of abuse, as well as the strategies they are developing to exercise their rights and liberties. Data from semistructured interviews with 20 residents, mostly very old women aged 80 to 98, are presented. Results show that residents' perception of abuse: (1) is conditioned by sensationalistic media coverage; (2) is limited to physical mistreatment; and (3) tends to legitimize day-to-day infringements of their rights, as these "minor" violations seem inoffensive when compared to the "real" acts of violence reported in the media. Tensions that can build up among residents, sometimes resulting in intimidation or even bullying, were addressed.
Home care professionals are well positioned to witness or prevent older adult mistreatment in the community. Screening efforts are important because most victims will not easily come forth. Two Canadian local community service centers implemented a systematic screening procedure within preexisting individual clinical supervision sessions to support social workers and improve detection of mistreatment. The aim of this pilot project was to assess fidelity, acceptability, and feasibility of the new procedure. Qualitative data was collected using individual interviews with two clinical supervisors, one focus group with eight social workers and content transcribed from 15 supervision sessions. It was estimated that 400 clients were screened for older adult mistreatment using this new procedure. Results showed the procedure was judged acceptable because it sensitized social workers to risk factors, gave them time to reflect upon and discuss probable cases with their clinical supervisor. Nonetheless, participants did not use the designated statistical code in the new procedure to document mistreatment situations. Feasibility was mainly challenged by the fact that screening for older adult mistreatment competes with other organizational priorities. Future initiatives must develop strategies to counteract those barriers.
S'intéressant à la prise en charge citoyenne des parents, cet article présente les résultats d'une étude de cas multiples auprès de trois Organismes Communautaires Famille. Bien que présente sous diverses formes, la participation demeure le fait d'une minorité, surtout lorsqu'elle suppose une implication plus intensive (prendre des décisions), ou un passage à l'action sociale (mobilisation collective). Un certain nombre de facteurs facilitent la participation, accentuant la perspective citoyenne : 1) une programmation équilibrée, 2) une limitation de la professionnalisation, 3) un positionnement critique par rapport aux sources de financement et 4) une implication dans le mouvement communautaire.
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This article discusses the experiences of social isolation among older people living alone. The current state of knowledge suggests that they are at a higher risk of social isolation which, in turn, can compromise their health and well-being to varying degrees. Yet, few qualitative studies have tried to understand the subjective experience of living alone and the ways it can impact older people's relationships. The data presented here are based on 43 individual interviews with men and women aged 65 to 93 living alone in the Montreal area (Canada), and group discussions with 120 actors involved in intervention. The results showed that the majority of the participating older people did not see living alone as a problem. Their stories revealed the extent of their resilience and their ability to maintain satisfactory social relations with family and peers. However, for a minority, mostly men over 80 years old, solo living translated into being alone and could become problematic. The article presents reflections for social work intervention, inviting practitioners to consider different vulnerabilities affecting the capacity of older people living alone to maintain their social networks and highlighting the importance of fostering reciprocity in their relationships.
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