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

Abstract

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.

Reimagining Family Involvement in Residential Long-Term Care

“…30,31 Among family members of institutionalized Veterans, those who indicate a greater sense of community in their relative's RLTC also report less conflict with staff as well as greater family adjustment to a relative's placement. 32…”

From Family Involvement to Family Inclusion in Nursing Home Settings: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis

“…Although several studies did not report participants’ age, of those that did, the average age was 58.01 years (range = 20-93 years). Seven studies also reported employment status, demonstrating that many family members were employed either part- or full time (Baumbusch & Phinney, 2014; Fukahori et al, 2007; Gladstone et al, 2006; Gladstone, Dupuis, & Wexler, 2007; Holmgren et al, 2014; Petrovic-Poljak & Konnert, 2013; Tsai & Tsai, 2012; Zhan et al, 2011), and one study reported that family members organized their involvement around paid employment (Baumbusch & Phinney, 2014).…”

“…Along with staff’s lack of buy-in to relational philosophies of care (Bauer et al, 2014; Baumbusch & Phinney, 2014), discordance between family members’ own perceptions of involvement (i.e., being more than a visitor; Baumbusch & Phinney, 2014), staff’s perceptions of what family involvement entailed (psychosocial support; Natan, 2009), and the added workload that came with some family members (Bauer et al, 2014; Baumbusch & Phinney, 2014) contributed to the degree of family inclusion in the facility. Some family members identified that the cultural composition of staff hampered collaborative relationships and dialogue (Bauer et al, 2014; Baumbusch & Phinney, 2014; Holmgren et al, 2014; Petrovic-Poljak & Konnert, 2013), and for some, this was a source of conflict and experience of “othering” (Holmgren et al, 2014).…”

Informal care provided in US nursing homes: Reduced from 2010 to 2021 and lower for Medicaid residents

“…Past research reported that more family involvement in care in nursing homes might lead to better quality of life and quality of care for the residents including improved nutritional outcomes as a result of better feeding, 15 reduced antipsychotic medication use 16 and improved behavior management 17 . Studies also found that perceived lack of involvement in care and infrequent visits to the facility tended to predict increased feelings of guilt of family members 18 and that more involvement in care and connections to nursing home staff and residents predicted higher family satisfaction with care 19 . Because many of these studies were based on small, convenience samples and reported somewhat mixed results, more research is needed to further determine the positive effects of informal care in nursing homes on both residents and their families, and to understand the exact reasons for reduced family involvement in the past decade for possible solutions to prevent further reductions.…”