1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«[T]his study aims to describe how social workers perceive and address caregivers’ emotional needs in relation to the choice of a new living environment for a person with dementia.» (p. 81)

Questions/Hypothèses :
«The following research questions [are] examined: 1) What specific caregiver emotions do social workers perceive? 2) Which strategies are used by social workers to address caregivers’ emotional needs? 3) What are the consequences of these intervention strategies according to social workers?» (p. 81)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«Data was collected as part of a larger study aiming to develop and validate a decision-aid for caregivers (Couture & Ducharme, 2012). [They] were recruited from three health and community service facilities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.» (p. 81-82) The sample consists of seven social workers. They «were all women and case managers. […] Their age ranged from 26 to 57 years old and they had an average of 3 years of experience as case managers.» (p. 83-84)

Instruments :
- Guide d’entretien semi-directif
- Guide d’entretien de groupe

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

According to social workers, caregivers frequently expressed «[a] fear of being left alone as a result of the CLE [Change of Living Environment]. Caregivers also report experiencing grief-related sadness when confronted with the loss of their loved one as he or she was before the dementia and with the dissolution of a shared daily life […].» (p. 88) «Social workers who provide support to dementia caregivers during their decision-making process for a change of living environment might encounter obstacles to support provision such as limited time with caregivers and pressure to make caregivers agree to nursing home placement. Structural and institutional barriers may also limit the impact of social workers’ attempts to support dementia caregivers as they may be tied to providing care and services to the person with dementia while not being allotted the time and resources to properly address caregiver needs. Nevertheless, social workers report using a variety of intervention strategies to provide emotional support to caregivers which range from active listening and the like to active responses to caregivers’ tangible needs as they relate to their decision for a new living environment for their loved one.» (p. 91)