Placing a spouse in a care home: the importance of keeping

J Clin Nurs. 2001 May;10(3):406-16. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2702.2001.00497.x.

Abstract

Despite a universal policy of community care, the number of frail older people entering care homes is likely to increase in the future. There have been relatively few studies exploring the experience of spouses who have placed a partner in care. Due to a lack of preparation, the placement process is often ad hoc, with little attention being given to spouses' emotional reactions or their efforts to maintain their relationship with their partner. The relationship between care home staff and families is often superficial and strained. There is a need for more proactive efforts to facilitate a partnership between care home staff and families.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological*
  • Aged
  • Attitude to Health*
  • Female
  • Frail Elderly / psychology*
  • Grief
  • Guilt
  • Humans
  • Institutionalization*
  • Interpersonal Relations*
  • Male
  • Marriage / psychology*
  • Models, Psychological
  • Needs Assessment
  • Nursing Homes*
  • Nursing Methodology Research
  • Professional-Family Relations
  • Spouses / psychology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Sweden
  • Time Factors