Towards meeting the health care needs of the Chinese elderly : meaning and potential health consequences associated with care receiving for the Chinese elderly

MacKinnon, Marian E. M. (1993) Towards meeting the health care needs of the Chinese elderly : meaning and potential health consequences associated with care receiving for the Chinese elderly. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study was carried out to explore the meaning and potential health consequences, to the Chinese elderly, of being dependent on family for physical, financial, psychological and social needs. Themes arising from the data provided the framework for presentation and discussion of the findings. -- Ten elderly Chinese participated in the study which involved tape recorded face-to-face interviews. A pilot study was initially conducted with four Chinese elders using an interview guide of semi-structured and open ended questions. -- The interview guide was developed by the researcher. Following the pilot study, the revised interview guide was used with six more Chinese elderly to obtain in depth descriptions of the elder's experiences related to care receiving. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. -- Analysis of the data revealed that elderly Chinese immigrants may experience psychological, social, as well as potential physical health consequences related to the care receiving situation. Four major concepts emerged from data analysis: 1) loneliness and isolation, associated with absence of social contacts, language difficulties, intergenerational differences, and transportation problems; 2) reduced resources with which to reciprocate, and hence balance the care receiving relationship; 3) an expressed need for meaningful relationships and roles within the family; and 4) the desire for greater independence within the care receiving situation with families. -- Implications for providing culturally sensitive care are discussed, as well as implications for nursing education and research. Some speculative relationships between relevant concepts are suggested as a possible basis for a future framework for care receiving.

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