Spiritual expressions in the caring environment of adult day care centers.
Adult day care, an increasingly important community-based service for adults who need supervision and assistance with basic needs, is particularly important for African-American families in whom the placement of family members in institutions has traditionally been viewed as an unacceptable option. Actual utilization of adult day care services depends on the creation of a caring milieu in the centers, and one important element is the opportunity for spiritual expression. A recent ethnographic study explored factors influencing care expressions, patterns and practices in two adult day care centers with predominantly African-American clients and staff. The study findings included unique examples of indigenous spiritual expressions that had evolved in the cultural milieu of the centers, and provided the basis for recommended strategies to incorporate spirituality in adult day care and other clinical settings.
Nelson
Jean
J
Barnes College of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Missouri-St. Louis, 8001 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63121-9989, USA.
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D019058:Community Networks; D003469:Culture; D003631:Day Care, Medical; D004777:Environment; D006801:Humans; D012919:Social Behavior; D029181:Spirituality