Perceived stress and coping experience of spouses of long-term disabled empty nest elderly people in Beijing communities: a qualitative study
10.3760/cma.j.cn115682-20230907-00950
- VernacularTitle:北京市社区长期失能空巢老人配偶压力感知和应对体验的质性研究
- Author:
Yaozheng XU
1
;
Li GAO
;
Haolan WANG
;
Jinghan FANG
Author Information
1. 首都医科大学护理学院，北京 100069
- Keywords:
Aged;
Spouses;
Disability;
Perceived stress;
Community nursing;
Qualitative research
- From:
Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing
2024;30(11):1496-1500
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To explore the perceived stress and coping experience of spouses of elderly people with long-term disability and empty nest.Methods:Using phenomenological research methods, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 spouses of disabled elderly people in a community in Beijing from February to June 2023, and data analysis was conducted using Colaizzi's 7-step analysis method.Results:The perceived stress and coping experience of spouses of long-term disabled empty nest elderly people were summarized into three themes and ten sub-themes, namely, the dynamic and variable stress perception of spouses (stress changed synchronously with the state of disabled elderly people, stress changed in a "U" shape, and pressure increased in a progressive manner), the challenges for spouses in long-term care of disabled elderly people (difficult in unifying opinions and views, incomprehensible inner emotions, difficulty in ensuring their elderly care, and coexistence of multiple roles and identities) and positive coping experiences and strategies of spouses (actively seeking external support, respecting the subjective wishes of disabled elderly people, and improving dyadic coping abilities) .Conclusions:Community nursing staff should support and guide spouses who undertake care work based on changes in perceived stress characteristics of long-term disabled empty nest elderly people. At the same time, it is necessary to understand the various challenges they face in long-term care, draw on positive coping experiences of spouses, so as to provide a basis for building a friendly family support system for home-based elderly care.
