| Summary: | 碩士 === 玄奘大學 === 社會福利學系碩士班 === 97 === Taiwan society is now an aging society. The ever growing number of the elderly means the consumption for healthcare and social care resources is at an unprecedented pace. As the current family structure and the concepts of filial obedience change, families do not usually have full time caregivers available to provide adequate cares for the disabled elderly, and often times, they are forced to move to nursing institutes. Thus, the number of the elderly living in nursing facilities is increasing each year.
Living in a nursing facility is a life-altering event for the elderly as well as their families. On one hand, the elderly has to adapt to a new lifestyle. On the other hand, the families will also need to change their methods of caring for the elderly. As the elderly still lives in the fading reality of filial obedience, 1) how the elderly truly feel about living in nursing facilities, 2) what the families as well as nursing staff working at institutes truly feel about the elderly living in the facilities, and 3) how they may appropriately assist the elderly to smoothly sail through the adaptation period are three important issues this thesis attempts to address. Thus, this research focuses on the subjective experience of the elderly and the perceptions of the families and staff to analyze factors influencing the life adaptation experience of the elderly living in nursing facilities.
This study utilized the qualitative and observatory approaches and interviewed seven senior citizens, three family members, and three nursing facility staff members to study the true feelings of the elderly living in nursing facilities and examine their adaptive experience.
Data analyses indicate that 1) the average age for these seven senior interviewees is 79; and 2) the degree of dependency for the disabled elderly is the primary reason the elderly lives in nursing facilities. However, the conditions that a family is able to provide sufficient care for the elderly (including the number of available caregivers, the extend that families possesses sufficient knowledge as well as skills, and the level families are willing to care for the elderly) are also crucial to the decision of living in nursing facilities. Additionally, the adaptive process is subject to four factors: 1) the degree of readiness for the elderly to participate in the relocation planning process; 2) the available resources of the elderly (including their health, dependency, personality, finance, and their marriage status); 3) the degree of care from families and friends, which will also adversely affect self-esteem and the sense of existence for the elderly; and 4) the ability of the elderly to approve themselves and pursuit their meanings of life by participating in social activities.
This study provides the following four suggestions for stakeholders involving in the decision of the elderly living in nursing facilities:
1) Family members and nursing institutes should work together on developing the overall care plan for the elderly. This can improve meaningfulness of life for both the elderly and family members.
2) The elderly has to face and adapt to the reality that the definition of filial obedience is changing at present time and family members are not able to accompany the elderly all the time. Most family members prefer financial support to nursing support for the elderly. Only after the elderly accepts this reality and prepares for the trend will they be able to adjust fully to the decision, develop their own life objectives, and focus on the self growth.
3) Nursing institutes should position themselves, not as medical facilities, but as a total care provider for the elderly. They should provide systematic trainings that focus on the attitudes (sincerity, care, kindness, and patient) for their staff as well as for volunteers. This not only allows their staff to develop their sense of respect and accomplishment for their jobs, but also encourages them to improve their skills in the role of caregivers.
4) The government should encourage private enterprises to set up small to mid size nursing centers in the residential areas and communities. This will help the elderly to adapt more quickly as they will still be living in familiar environments. Also, the government should loose the restrictions on the nursing staff-to-the-elderly ratio.
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