Perspective of Family Members of Transitions to Alternative Levels of Care in Anglo-Saxon Countries

This scoping review explores circumstances surrounding the decision about, and eventual experience of, transitioning older adults into alternative levels of housing (ALH), such as long-term care. This topic is examined from a family member perspective, given their exposure and involvement in the car...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current gerontology and geriatrics research 2018, Vol.2018 (2018), p.1-11
Main Authors: Di Sante, E., Banfield, L., Dal Bello-Haas, Vanina, Kaasalainen, Sharon, Wickson-Griffiths, Abigail, Merla, C., Hadjistavropoulos, Thomas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Aged
Aging
Alternative approaches
Alzheimer's disease
Care and treatment
Caregivers
Clinical decision making
Decision making
Demographic aspects
Families & family life
Family roles
Family support
Gerontology
Housing
Literature reviews
Long term health care
Long-term care of the sick
Management
Nursing homes
Older parents
Older people
Physiological aspects
Review
Support groups
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Summary:This scoping review explores circumstances surrounding the decision about, and eventual experience of, transitioning older adults into alternative levels of housing (ALH), such as long-term care. This topic is examined from a family member perspective, given their exposure and involvement in the care of older adult relatives during this transitional period. The scoping review methodology is based on the framework of Arksey and O’Malley and subsequent recommendations from Levac, Colquhoun, and O’Brien. Approximately 470 articles were reviewed covering the period between 2000 and November 2014; 37 articles met inclusion criteria. A temporal organization of themes was used to describe the experiences of family members in the pretransition, active transition, and posttransition periods of moving older adult relatives into ALH. This paper highlights the transitional period as a time of crisis, with a lack of planning, support, and transparent discussion. This study identifies a need for future research on the potential benefits of family support groups, interim transitional housing options, different models of ALH, changing roles in the posttransition period, and the need for a comprehensive list of housing options for older adults. Results have the potential to inform policy/practice and improve the lives of older adults and their family.
ISSN:1687-7063
1687-7071
DOI:10.1155/2018/4892438