NCJ Number
146634
Journal
Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Dated: (1993) Pages: 21-38
Date Published
1993
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This descriptive, exploratory study used ethnographic field techniques to assess certain interactions between staff members and nursing home elderly residents.
Abstract
This multisite, descriptive, exploratory study used ethnographic field techniques that involved intensive observations and semi-structured interviews in three skilled nursing facilities in one northeastern U.S. city. Two groups of institutionalized elderly individuals were compared: the aggressive and the nonaggressive residents. A purposive sample of 27 nursing home residents was selected from the three facilities. The ethnographic research cycle described by Spradley (1980) was used to search inductively for recurrent themes concerning aggressive and nonaggressive residents. Data analysis and data collection were done simultaneously, moving from specific empirical items to higher levels of abstraction. Records of each nursing unit provided information on chronic illnesses of the subjects. During the course of the investigation, no incidences of overt abuse such as hitting, punching, kicking, or swearing were observed. The study did find, however, that the staff did certain things to the subjects that constitute covert forms of abuse. These forms of covert abuse can be categorized as psychological abuse. Loss of opportunities for personal choice was evident in the daily lives of aggressive residents. A second aspect of covert psychological abuse was the isolation of certain residents. This involved being placed alone, separated, or in a detached position. In this study, the aggressive resident was labeled as "bad" and the nonaggressive resident as "good," thus contributing to covert abuse of the elderly individual. There were also certain thoughtless practices that suggest covert psychological abuse in this study sample. 36 references