Beyond the family metaphor: facility caregivers remembering their families.
Hands-on caregivers in long-term care facilities often describe their work as being "like family." The literature has not sufficiently explained what like family means. This qualitative study analyzes the reports of 23 facility caregivers about what they found rewarding in their work. Six participants described how they remembered family members while on the job. They remembered family members they cared for or wanted to care for. Family members who had passed away were also remembered by 2 of the 6 participants. Remembering family members allowed participants to feel close to their loved ones and see their work as giving back.
Dran
David S
DS
Department of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Pembroke, North Carolina 28372-1510, USA. david.dran@uncp.edu
D000328:Adult; D040561:Assisted Living Facilities; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D019365:Metaphor; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes; D012938:Social Perception; D013637:Tape Recording; D055815:Young Adult