Reintegration within families in the context of chronic illness: a family health promoting process

Abstract

( 2 0 1 1 ) ( 2 0 1 1 ) Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronic Illness 3, 283-292 Reintegration within families in the context of chronic illness: a family health promoting process Aim. To describe the processes families use to manage family life in the context of a chronic illness and build theory that clarifies elements of the family processes. Background. Illness has been described as a family affair triggering families to shift their individual and family patterns as they attempt to manage ongoing life with a chronic illness. Family processes are central to the tasks and goals of a family living with a chronic illness. One in two families will experience a chronic illness in the next decade, hence it is important that research focus on understanding family processes that can influence health of the member with an illness and family health. Design. Grounded theory methodology was used for this study. Nine families participated with 46 participant family members interviewed aged between 6-75 years. Families included members with varied chronic illnesses. Semi-structured, audiotaped interviews with group analysis methods focused on family level data. Data were collected in 2005. Results. The central phenomenon was identified as an ongoing process of reintegration within families in the context of chronic illness. Recognising the vulnerability and reality of chronic illness prompts families to initiate reintegration within a context of uncertainty presented by the specific illness and its ongoing management. As a result of the caring strategies chosen by families, a pattern of engagement with Ó 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 283 the chronic illness was developed that focused on ongoing connecting, pondering, relating and struggling. Conclusions. A model of reintegration provides new understandings of ongoing family processes of a chronic illness. Supporting the evolving family as they engage with the chronic illness through processes of connecting, pondering relating, and struggling promotes family health.Relevance to clinical practice. Findings provide direction for health professionals planning family interventions to support family caring strategies and family processes as families engage with the chronic illness.

‘You put it all together’ – families' evaluation of participating in Family Health Conversations

“…Having the opportunity to narrate, listen, ask each other questions and reflect on the other family members' stories helped families to create a whole picture of their situation. This may have contributed to family reintegration, which has been described as a process where families adopt and make choices based on their own experiences of living with illness . In our study, narration and listening were linked to an increased understanding within the family and may have enhanced the families' capacity to reintegrate in a way that fostered well‐being.…”

Living as a family in the midst of chronic illness

“…Previous research about families living with chronic illness has mainly been conducted using data on an individual level . However, collecting data on a family level increase knowledge about family processes . In this study, repeated interviews were performed to create room for interaction between family members and between the family and the interviewer .…”

“…One study using a family approach describes the process where families recognise the vulnerability and reality of chronic illness, try to adapt to reality and make choices in relation to their experiences of chronic illness. In this ongoing process, called reintegration, families start to use intentional caring strategies and a commitment within the family to enhance current and future family life evolves .…”

Systematic review of measurement properties of instruments assessing nurses’ attitudes towards the importance of involving families in their clinical practice

“…Recent scientific evidence shows how illness, either acute or chronic in nature, affects not only the person and the career, but also the entire family (Eggenberger, Meiers, Krumwiede, Bliesmer, & Earle, 2011;Wright & Leahey, 2013). The onset of an illness in a family entails a new and stressful situation that in most cases interrupt the logic of family life and place the family in situation of vulnerability (Årestedt, Benzein, & Persson, 2015;Astedt-Kurki, Paavilainen, Tammentie, & Paunonen-Ilmonen, 2001;Wright & Leahey, 2013).…”