ABSTRACT
Following placement of a relative in a nursing home, many family members maintain an active caregiving role. Families are often an invisible force in long-term care settings. Although they do not live or work inside the facility, their influence on resident and staff functioning is profound. Psychologists working in long-term care settings are frequently asked to intervene around issues involving family members. Understanding the interactive nature of problems both within and between the resident, the family, the staff, and the larger community facilitates the development of successful psychological interventions.
This article presents the psychologist’s use of a systemic approach in guiding interventions with families of long-term care residents. Common 106concerns are reviewed, including family members’ adjustment to long-term care placement and the challenges between families and staff. Case examples are used to illustrate these concerns and challenges. The use of a systemic model in family work in long-term care settings is described, and then illustrated with a case example. This case is presented to highlight the interactive nature of problems that can arise between staff and families, the impact of these problems on resident care, as well as the utility of systemic conceptualization in guiding family interventions in long-term care settings. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: <getinfo@haworthpressinc.com> Website: <https://www.HaworthPress.com" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">https://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]
