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Vardag i olika världar : Om dementa och vårdbiträden på tre gruppboenden

Melin Emilsson, Ulla LU (1998)
Abstract
This thesis is about the residents and employees at three group homes for older people suffering from dementia. The empirical data comprises princi- pally of participant observation and interviews with caregivers. The aim of the dissertation is to describe and understand what happens during daily life at a group home for elderly suffering from dementia. The ambition is to understand the patterns of action in a "relation-oriented perspective" where the interpretative model is taken from social psychological and psychological theory. A categorisation of the residents based on how their demands are expressed in relationship to the people around them is constructed. Four different levels of demands are formulated. 38 caregivers, all women, are... (More)
This thesis is about the residents and employees at three group homes for older people suffering from dementia. The empirical data comprises princi- pally of participant observation and interviews with caregivers. The aim of the dissertation is to describe and understand what happens during daily life at a group home for elderly suffering from dementia. The ambition is to understand the patterns of action in a "relation-oriented perspective" where the interpretative model is taken from social psychological and psychological theory. A categorisation of the residents based on how their demands are expressed in relationship to the people around them is constructed. Four different levels of demands are formulated. 38 caregivers, all women, are interviewed. The staffs of the three group homes do not differ from one another in the actions but within the staff groups two different attitudes have been differentiated. One group termed "the disappointed" comprises of 28 of the 38 care- givers and in the other group, called "those who can" we find ten caregivers who both in words and deeds show that they have the energy and willing- ness to carry out their jobs. The three group homes are dominated by conditions which one could say group homes were created to avoid. Even if the mode of expression varies bet- ween different levels, there are certain common features in the actions of the residents who all express a desire to be in company of the caregivers. With regard to the caregivers, the difference between the two groups has to do with their contact with the residents. While "the disappointed" spend a great deal of their time with each other, "those who can" spend their time at work with the residents. The impact of the illness dementia on cognitive functioning, with its ever-present threat of dissolving identity and a reality which is not shared by those around, means that even the identity of the caregivers i threatened. The caregivers classified as "the disappointed" therefore seek out each other to have their own identities affirmed. It is probably more difficult to understand how "those who can" actually manage than to understand how the group of "the dissapointed" do not manage in their intercourse with the residents in this daily life in different worlds. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Hur ser vardagen ut för äldre demenssjuka människor? Vad händer när dementa och vårdbiträden dagligen möts i nära och intima relationer? Denna avhandling ger en ingående beskrivning av hur vardagen gestaltar sig på tre gruppboenden för dementa med utgångspunkt från hur dementa och vårdbiträden faktiskt handlar i olika situationer. Ett försök görs att ge ett förståelseperspektiv på vårdens vardag utifrån relationer mellan vårdare och vårdad och inom dessa grupper. Det framkommer att gruppboendena i denna studie faktiskt präglas av just de förhållanden som verk- samheten skapades för att undvika: passivitet och ensamhet. Vårdbiträdena är positiva till grupp- boendet som vårdform men många av dem... (More)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Hur ser vardagen ut för äldre demenssjuka människor? Vad händer när dementa och vårdbiträden dagligen möts i nära och intima relationer? Denna avhandling ger en ingående beskrivning av hur vardagen gestaltar sig på tre gruppboenden för dementa med utgångspunkt från hur dementa och vårdbiträden faktiskt handlar i olika situationer. Ett försök görs att ge ett förståelseperspektiv på vårdens vardag utifrån relationer mellan vårdare och vårdad och inom dessa grupper. Det framkommer att gruppboendena i denna studie faktiskt präglas av just de förhållanden som verk- samheten skapades för att undvika: passivitet och ensamhet. Vårdbiträdena är positiva till grupp- boendet som vårdform men många av dem uttrycker i både ord och handling att de har svårt att orka med sitt arbete. Istället för att ägna sig åt de gamla tillbringar de tiden tillsammans med varandra. Demens karaktäriseras av att identiteten upplöses. För ett vårdbiträde som tillbringar sin arbetsdag med sex eller åtta dementa påverkas även den egna identiteten. I detta läge kan relationerna till kollegorna bli viktigare än samspelet med de gamla. För utomstående kan det t o m vara lättare att förstå de vårdbiträden som inte okar än att begripa de fåtal som faktiskt gör det. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Professor Berg, Stig
organization
alternative title
Everyday life in different worlds : Dementia and caregivers in three group homes
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
caregiver, Dementia, group living, group home, communication, identity, interpersonal, psychosocial interaction, Care and help to handicapped, relationship, Handikappade, vård och rehabilitering
pages
320 pages
publisher
Arkiv
defense location
N/A
defense date
1998-05-15 10:15:00
ISBN
91 7924 110 7
language
Swedish
LU publication?
yes
id
85385e47-30db-45b9-8d8d-764228524fe9 (old id 18767)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 12:12:41
date last changed
2021-12-20 15:53:36
@phdthesis{85385e47-30db-45b9-8d8d-764228524fe9,
  abstract     = {{This thesis is about the residents and employees at three group homes for older people suffering from dementia. The empirical data comprises princi- pally of participant observation and interviews with caregivers. The aim of the dissertation is to describe and understand what happens during daily life at a group home for elderly suffering from dementia. The ambition is to understand the patterns of action in a "relation-oriented perspective" where the interpretative model is taken from social psychological and psychological theory. A categorisation of the residents based on how their demands are expressed in relationship to the people around them is constructed. Four different levels of demands are formulated. 38 caregivers, all women, are interviewed. The staffs of the three group homes do not differ from one another in the actions but within the staff groups two different attitudes have been differentiated. One group termed "the disappointed" comprises of 28 of the 38 care- givers and in the other group, called "those who can" we find ten caregivers who both in words and deeds show that they have the energy and willing- ness to carry out their jobs. The three group homes are dominated by conditions which one could say group homes were created to avoid. Even if the mode of expression varies bet- ween different levels, there are certain common features in the actions of the residents who all express a desire to be in company of the caregivers. With regard to the caregivers, the difference between the two groups has to do with their contact with the residents. While "the disappointed" spend a great deal of their time with each other, "those who can" spend their time at work with the residents. The impact of the illness dementia on cognitive functioning, with its ever-present threat of dissolving identity and a reality which is not shared by those around, means that even the identity of the caregivers i threatened. The caregivers classified as "the disappointed" therefore seek out each other to have their own identities affirmed. It is probably more difficult to understand how "those who can" actually manage than to understand how the group of "the dissapointed" do not manage in their intercourse with the residents in this daily life in different worlds.}},
  author       = {{Melin Emilsson, Ulla}},
  isbn         = {{91 7924 110 7}},
  keywords     = {{caregiver; Dementia; group living; group home; communication; identity; interpersonal; psychosocial interaction; Care and help to handicapped; relationship; Handikappade; vård och rehabilitering}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  publisher    = {{Arkiv}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  title        = {{Vardag i olika världar : Om dementa och vårdbiträden på tre gruppboenden}},
  year         = {{1998}},
}