Hostname: page-component-cb9f654ff-plnhv Total loading time: 0.001 Render date: 2025-08-29T16:09:02.606Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Research with elderly people in long-term care: some social and organisational factors affecting psychological interventions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2008

Ann D. M. Davies
Ann D. M. Davies
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, P.O. Box 147, Liverpool L69 3BX, England.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The problems of introducing change in long-term care settings for elderly people are discussed in relation to social, psychological and organisational factors operating within the institution. It is argued that the poor maintenance and generalisation of many behavioural interventions is in part due to researchers adopting too narrow a framework. Four issues are discussed and illustrated: 1. The role of the researcher in relation to care staff. 2. Relationships with elderly patients. 3. Change as criticism. 4. Conflicting policies within the institution.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 2 , Issue 3 , November 1982 , pp. 285 - 298
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

REFERENCES

1Elliot, J. R.Living in hospital: the social needs of people in long-term care. King Edwards' Hospital Fund, London, 1975.Google Scholar
2Lindsley, O. Geriatric behavioral prosthetics. In Kastenbaum, R. (ed.) New thoughts on old age. Springer, New York, 1964.Google Scholar
3Patterson, R. L. and Jackson, G. M. Behavior modification with the elderly. In Hersen, M., Eisler, R. M. and Miller, P. M. (eds.) Progress in behavior modification 9, Academic Press, New York, 1980.Google Scholar
4Holahan, C.Seating patterns and patient behaviour in an experimental day room. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 80, 1972, 115–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5MacDonald, M. L. and Butler, A. K.Reversal of helplessness: producing walking behavior in nursing home wheelchair residents using behavior modification procedures. Journal of Gerontology, 23, 1974, 97–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6Baltes, M. M. and Lascomb, S. L.Creating a healthy institutional environment for the elderly via behaviour management: the nurse as a change agent. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 12, 1975, 5–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7Baltes, M. M. and Zerbe, M. B.Independence training in nursing home residents. Gerontologist, 16, 1976, 428–432.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8Colman, A. D. Environmental design: realities and delusions. In Colman, A. D. and Bexton, W. H. (eds.) Group relations reader, GREX, Berkeley, Calif. 1975.Google Scholar
9Broome, A. K. Setting targets for institutional care. Paper given at the British Psychological Society's Annual Conference. Nottingham, 1979.Google Scholar
10Zepelin, H., Wolfe, C. S. and Kleinplatz, F.Evaluation of a year-long reality orientation program. Journal of Gerontology, 36, 1981, 70–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11Galliard, P. Difficulties encountered in attempting to increase social interaction amongst geriatric psychiatry patients: clean and sitting quietly. Paper presented to the Annual Conference of the British Psychology Society, York, 04 1978.Google Scholar
12Willems, E. P.Behavioral technology and behavioral ecology. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 7, 1974, 151–65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13Bromley, D. B. Approaches to the study of personality changes in adult life and old age. In Isaacs, A. D. and Post, F., Studies in geriatric psychiatry. Wiley, London, 1978.Google Scholar
14Kahn, R. L. Perspectives in the evaluation of psychological mental health problems for the aged. In Gentry, W. D. (ed.) Geropsychology: a model of training and clinical service, Ballinger Publishing Co., Cambridge, Mass., 1977.Google Scholar
15Reppucci, N. D. and Saunders, J. T.Social psychology of behaviour modification. American Psychologist, 29, 1974, 649–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16Davies, A. D. M. and Snaith, P. A.The social behaviour of geriatric patients at mealtimes: an observational and an intervention study. Age and Ageing, 9, 1980, 93–9CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17Davies, A. D. M. and Snaith, P. A.Mealtime problems in a continuing-care hospital for the elderly. Age and Ageing, 9, 1980, 100–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18Davies, A. D. M. and Crisp, A. G.Setting performance goals in geriatric nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 5, 1980, 381–8.Google ScholarPubMed
19Davies, A. D. M.Neither wife nor widow: an intervention with the wife of a chronically handicapped man during hospital visits. Behavior Research and Therapy, 19, 1981, 449–51.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20Olsen, V. I. and Whittaker, E. W. Role making in participant observation: processes in the researcher-actor relationship. In Denzin, N. (ed.) Sociological methods. Aldine Publishing Co. Inc., New York, 1960.Google Scholar
21McCall, G. J. and Simmons, J. L. (eds.) Issues in participant observation, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Reading, Mass. 1969.Google Scholar
22Lipman, A.Some problems of direct observation in architectural social research. The Architects' Journal, 147, 1968, 1349–56.Google Scholar
23Bijou, S. W., Peterson, R. F., Harris, F. R., Allen, K. E. and Johnston, M. S.Methodology for experimental studies of young children in natural settings. Psychological Record, 19, 1969, 177–210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24Hollenbeck, A. R. Problems of reliability in observational research. In Sackett, G. P. (ed.) Observing behaviour 2. Data collection and analysis methods. University Park Press, Baltimore, 1978.Google Scholar
25Kahn, R. L. and Zarit, S. H. Evaluation of mental health programs for the aged in Davidson, P. O., Clark, F. W. and Hamerlynck, L. A. (eds.) Evaluation of behavioral programs in community, residential and school settings. Research Press, Champaign, Illinois, 1974.Google Scholar
26Montegar, C. A., Reid, D. H., Madsen, C. H. and Ewell, M. D.Increasing institutional staff to resident interactions through in-service training and supervisor approval. Behavior Therapy, 8, 1977, 533–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27Savage, B., Widdowson, T. and Wright, T. Improving the care of the elderly. In Towell, D., and Harris, C. (eds.) Innovation in patient care, Croom Helm, London, 1979.Google Scholar
28Brody, E. M., Kleban, M. B., Lawton, M. P. and Silverman, H. A.Excess dis ability of mentally impaired aged: Impact of individualized treatment. Gerontologist, ii, 1971, 123–32.Google Scholar
29Bennett, R. and Eisrdorfer, C. The institutional environment and behavior change. In Sherwood, S. (ed.) Long-term care: a handbook for researchers, planners and providers. Spectrum Publications, New York, 1975.Google Scholar
30Mager, R. F. and Piper, P.Analyzing performance problems, Fearon Pub., Belmont, Calif., 1970.Google Scholar
31Mikulic, M. A.Reinforcement of independent and dependent behaviours of nursing personnel: an exploratory study. Nursing Research, 20, 1971, 162–5.Google ScholarPubMed
32Bakes, M. M., Burgess, R. L. and Stewart, R. B.Independence and dependence in self-care behaviours in nursing home residents: an operant-observational study. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 3, 1980, 489–500.Google Scholar
33Barton, E. M., Baltes, M. M. and Orzech, M. J.Ethology of dependence in older nursing home residents during morning care: the role of staff behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 38, 1980, 423–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
34Bernstein, G. S.Training behavior change agents: a conceptual review. Behavior Therapy, 13, 1982, 1–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
35Bender, M. P.Community psychology – when? Bulletin of The British Psychological Society, 32, 1979, 6–9.Google Scholar
36Whatmore, R., Durward, L. and Kushlik, A.Measuring the quality of residential care, Behavior Research and Therapy, 13, 1975, 227–36.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
37Davies, A. D. M. and Gledhill, K. J.Engagement and depressive symptoms in a community sample of elderly people. British Journal of Clinical Psychology (in press).Google Scholar
38Stockwell, F.The unpopular patient. Royal College of Nursing, London, 1972.Google Scholar
39Turner, B. F., Tobin, S. S. and Lieberman, M. A.Personality traits as predictors of institutional adaptation among the aged. Journal of Gerontology, 27, 1972, 61–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed