title: The marital perceptions of elderly persons living or having a spouse living in a long-term care institution in Canada.
abstract: The focus of this study is on the way that older married persons living, or having a spouse living, in a long-term care institution perceive their marriages following relocation. A qualitative analysis of 161 interviews was conducted. For noninstitutionalized spouses (n = 74), four themes emerged from the data--"marriage as a memory," the "illusory marriage," the "changed marriage," and the "continuing marriage." For institutionalized spouses (n = 87), three themes emerged, including the "happy marriage," the "detached marriage," and the "altered marriage." Relocation did not appear to have a direct impact on the way respondents perceived their marriages. Continuity theory was helpful in understanding these marital perceptions.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Gladstone
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D009735:Nursing Homes; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*