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A QUALITATIVE INQUIRY INTO THE SPIRITUALITY OF KOREAN FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF OLDER ADULTS AND ITS ROLE IN THEIR CAREGIVING EXPERIENCE
Lee, Jung Hee
Lee, Jung Hee
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Abstract
Recently researchers have increasingly paid attention to the relationship between caregivers’ spirituality and its influences on their caregiving experience. However, most studies have focused on the influences of spirituality on caregiver’s own strains associated with caregiving. Few studies have tried to understand the relationship between family caregivers’ spirituality and their positive caregiving experience. This study seeks to advance our knowledge in this area by exploring how Korean family-based caregivers of older adults with frailty can transform their caregiving experience, which often involves stress and burden, into a positive experience in relation to spirituality. Eighteen family caregivers, who cared for older adults with frailty at home, were recruited using purposive sampling in South Korea. A qualitative design guided by natural inquiry approach based on social constructionism was adapted and involved semi-structured in-depth interviews. The family caregivers were asked to respond to a series of open ended questions about their caregiving experience in relation to their spirituality. Five major findings and themes that emerged from the analysis process are discussed: (1) benefits and challenges of Korean family-based caregivers of older adults; (2) caregiving relationships between the caregivers and the care recipients; (3) characteristics of the spirituality of Korean family caregivers; (4) The role of spirituality in the caregiving experience; (5) recommendations for better family-based elder care. Findings indicate that the spirituality of Korean family caregivers has positive influences on their caregiving experience via different roles throughout the caregiving process. These confirm the importance of spirituality in helping family caregivers of older adults to take on and keep their caregiving role in a positive way. This study offers implications for social work and gerontology within the Korean context. The findings of this study also may have implications in the design and delivery of services for spiritually sensitive intervention with Korean and other Asian American families caring for older adults.
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Date
2015-01-01
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University of Kansas
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This item contains archived web content.
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Lee_ku_0099D_14051_DATA_1.pdf
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- Embargoed until 2165-05-31
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Keywords
Gerontology, Aging, Social work, caregiving relationship, family caregiving, Korean, older adults, positive caregiving, spirituality