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Amy S Yates final thesis_Redacted.pdf (7.01 MB)

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Actions Caregivers of Persons with Neurological Insult Take to Prevent Hospital Readmissions

Yates, Amy S
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=mco1467387711

Abstract Details

2016, Master of Science (MS), University of Toledo, Nurse Practitioner (Family).
Since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act law of 2010, hospitals are held accountable by payers for readmissions and have sought to identify the factors that lead to readmission, usually by examining medical issues such as comorbidities and medication prescriptions. While these factors may play a role, family caregiving is an essential, yet understudied, factor that can hasten, delay, or prevent patients’ hospital readmissions. The purpose of this study was to describe what actions family caregivers of persons with neurological insult take to prevent hospital readmissions, and if actions are taken, the reasons for those actions. Friedemann’s Framework of Systemic Organization guided this study in which health/well-being is defined as congruence. Hospital admissions can lead to incongruence, or an imbalance in well-being, for the care recipient and the caregiver. Caregivers may perform actions or behaviors in an attempt to return to a state of well-being. With IRB approval, a qualitative descriptive design was used. A one-time structured interview, with established content validity by experts in the field, was used to explore actions taken by family caregivers to prevent hospital readmissions for care recipients with neurological insult, as well as the reasons for these actions. The data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s content analysis. Friedemann’s framework was applied to the themes that emerged from these data. Four middle-aged, family caregivers of stroke survivors (one African American male; three White females) from northwest Ohio ultimately participated in the study. Five action themes emerged: consulting with healthcare providers (Friedemann’s process dimensions of system maintenance, individuation), encouraging the care recipient (individuation, coherence), observing the care recipient closely (system maintenance), assisting the care recipient with ADLs (system maintenance, coherence), and seeking information/education (system maintenance, individuation). Four reason themes emerged: promoting safety (system maintenance), increasing physical function (individuation), respecting individuality and dignity (system maintenance), and maintaining roles and relationships (coherence). Understanding what actions stroke family caregivers take and the reasons for those actions, enables nurses to provide targeted education and suggest community resources to potentially reduce hospital readmissions. Nurses can also advocate/intercede with local, state, and federal legislatures, as well as insurance companies, on their behalf.
Linda Pierce, PhD (Committee Chair)
Victoria Steiner, PhD (Committee Member)
Diane Salvador, PhD (Committee Member)
104 p.
Nursing
caregivers, stroke, patient readmission, nervous system diseases

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Yates, A. S. (2016). Actions Caregivers of Persons with Neurological Insult Take to Prevent Hospital Readmissions [Master's thesis, University of Toledo]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=mco1467387711

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Yates, Amy. Actions Caregivers of Persons with Neurological Insult Take to Prevent Hospital Readmissions . 2016. University of Toledo, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=mco1467387711.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Yates, Amy. "Actions Caregivers of Persons with Neurological Insult Take to Prevent Hospital Readmissions ." Master's thesis, University of Toledo, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=mco1467387711

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

mco1467387711
358
© 2016, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Toledo Health Science Campus and OhioLINK.