Zaida Azeredo

Thai Stroke Patient Caregivers: Who They Are and What They Need

Background and Purposes: Primary informal caregivers play a significant role in providing care to stroke survivors after having been discharged from the hospital. Our aims were to describe the characteristics of Thai stroke caregivers and to explore their needs while providing care to their stroke relatives. Methods: Using open-ended questions, we individually interviewed 20 caregivers of stroke survivors to identify their characteristics and their own needs. Additional field notes were made during all interviews. Results: Our findings revealed that the majority of Thai informal stroke caregivers in this study were female, mostly daughters, with the exception of 2 Thai primary stroke caregivers found to be nieces. The majority of caregivers provided care to their stroke relatives 24 h per day. The four major categories of informal rehabilitation were: physical, psychological, social, and spiritual rehabilitation activities. Assistance, information and social support were the three main needs of the caregivers. Conclusion: Based on these findings, appropriate nursing information and assistance focusing on rehabilitation and stroke caregivers’ needs should be provided to Thai stroke caregivers performing informal care to ensure that both patients and caregivers have the best possible quality of life.

Happiness among the elderly in communities: A study in senior clubs of Chonburi Province, Thailand

AIM To study the levels of happiness perception in the elderly in different regions, and determine the reasons affecting it. METHODS The Thai Happiness Indicators: THI-15; 2001 were used in this study of 306 participants (> or =60 years) in different regions: rural, suburban, and urban. The elderly were chosen by chance from those belonging to Thai senior clubs in opportunistic random. RESULTS The elderly perceived their happiness as good, fair, and poor, respectively, 12.4%, 37.9%, and 49.7%. There was a difference in happiness perception among the regions: poor happiness perception (64.5%, 61.2%, and 22.8% in rural, suburban, and urban areas, respectively) (P < 0.001). We also verified that there was a difference in poor happiness perception between males (57.9%) and females (42.2%) (P < 0.01). There were differences in the happiness perception among people with different levels of education (chi(2) (4, N = 306) = 14.15, P = 0.007). There was also a difference between happiness perceptions as related to occupation: the results showed elderly who were not working had a better score of happiness perception than the elderly who had to work. CONCLUSIONS Although we cannot generalize from the results the happiness of all Thai elderly, the present study found that formal education, geographical areas, and gender can influence happiness. Health-care providers should be concerned about and provide the proper intervention and/or activities in order to alleviate the mental health problems among the elderly in communities, especially the elderly who are identified with poor happiness.

Informal caregiving: Cross-cultural applicability of the Person-Environment Model

Abstract The 21st century will be characterised by aged and ageing nations, making eldercare a growing concern. Most eldercare in most nations will be provided informally, primarily by female family members. Helping these people understand the dimensions of eldercare is a key to effective and cost-effective caregiving. The Person-Environment Model (Lawton and Nahemow 1973) is proposed as a theoretical framework for understanding, assessing, and optimising family-based caregiving. This paper presents findings from a qualitative study of informal rehabilitation caregiving provided to elderly stroke survivors in Thailand. Four main rehabilitation dimensions (biological, psychological, social, spiritual) are identified, as are three main caregiver needs (information, assistance, and support). We suggest that while the Person-Environment Model is useful in developed nations, it is perhaps more valuable in societies where fewer options to family-based eldercare exist, and thus where effective informal eldercare is more critical. Implications for education and training of health care providers are also discussed.

The perception of the benefits of herbal medicine consumption among the Thai elderly

OBJECTIVES To determine how the Thai elderly perceived the benefits of herbal medicine consumption and to study related variables influencing their perception. DESIGN A cross-sectional study was used. PARTICIPANTS/SETTINGS 419 participants were chosen by systematic stratified sampling; people between 60-96 years of age (mean age 70.2 years); 68.3 % female, and 31.7% male of Chonburi Province (Thailand). MEASUREMENTS To determine the elderly perception about the benefits of herbal medicine consumption, a scale from one to four based upon 12 simply worded item check lists was used among the others. The questionnaires were conducted in June to August 2008 in 3 different regions (urban, suburban and rural areas). RESULTS 97.4% having used herbal medicines in many ways. Most of the elderly used the local herbals together with conventional medicines. They believed that herbals could reduce expenses (51%), cure diseases (41.9%), relieve symptoms (35.4%), and provide good health (33.6%). A 16.7% of the elderly had the strongest opinion regarding the use of herbal medicines as substitutes for conventional medicines. They also strongly agreed on using them as nutrients (39.8%). The study found significant correlation among levels of education, stress levels, happiness levels, and perception of benefits of herbal medicine consumption. CONCLUSIONS This study indicated that levels of education, happiness, and stress could influence the perception of herbal medicine consumption. Knowing how people perceive herbal medicine, its use, and local culture can help practicing health professionals, among other things, to avoid side effects from prescriptions and so maintain or promote the elderly health status.

Relational skills: needs experienced by nursing students

Articulo parte de la Tese de Doctorado “Competencias pessoais e sociais em estudantes de enfermagem: Implicacoes da implementacao de um programa de intervencao no Saber Fazer Relacional”, presentada para el Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Portugal. Apoyo financiero de la Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia – Ministerio da Ciencia, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior, Portugal, – PEst-OE/SAU/UI0742/2011.

Competências relacionais dos estudantes de enfermagem: Follow-up de programa de intervenção

The development of personal and social skills is a facilitator or even essential for nurses to demonstrate relational skills and helping skills in their dail...

Habilidades relacionales: necesidades sentidas por los estudiantes de enfermería

Articulo parte de la Tese de Doctorado “Competencias pessoais e sociais em estudantes de enfermagem: Implicacoes da implementacao de um programa de intervencao no Saber Fazer Relacional”, presentada para el Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Portugal. Apoyo financiero de la Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia – Ministerio da Ciencia, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior, Portugal, – PEst-OE/SAU/UI0742/2011.

Competências relacionais: necessidades sentidas pelos estudantes de enfermagem

Articulo parte de la Tese de Doctorado “Competencias pessoais e sociais em estudantes de enfermagem: Implicacoes da implementacao de um programa de intervencao no Saber Fazer Relacional”, presentada para el Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Portugal. Apoyo financiero de la Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia – Ministerio da Ciencia, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior, Portugal, – PEst-OE/SAU/UI0742/2011.

P-995 - First-time parents: difficulties/needs in caring of the newborn and the adjustment to the parental role in postpartum period

Introduction Postpartum period is a time of transition, of adjustments to the parental role. This transition calls for changes in role relationships, especially in the first- time parents. Aim Identify difficulties and needs of the first time parents related to the interaction with the newborn and to the adjustment to the parental role. Method Qualitative study using the descriptive phenomenological approach. Inform consent was obtained during the hospitalization after childbirth. Saturation of data was obtained with a group of 25 first-time fathers, using unstructured interviews in the parents home place. Results Two essentials structures emerged from the meaning units of the experiences of the first-time parents adjustment to the postpartum, the first described a positive experience and the second one a negative experience. From the positive key constituents we highlighted: getting to know the baby; the sense of responsibility to the parental role; the sense of family; the greater cooperation and union of the couple. As negative key constituents: insecurity in baby care; experiencing parenthood with emotional vulnerability that is labelled as a period of lack of time to take care of oneself; less time for the couple and less social activity. Conclusions This phenomenological study provides a deep understanding of the needs of first-time parents with the essentials structures of the process of paternal adjustment in the period of the post-partum, and generates implications to improve it, specially the postpartum home visit, support groups in the Health Centres, and a maternity postpartum phone line as suggested by the participants.