Die self-waargenome lewensgehalte van versorgingspersoneel by ’n fasiliteit vir volwassenes met intellektuele gestremdheid
Date
2009-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns
Abstract
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie artikel doen verslag oor ’n studie wat gedoen is oor die persepsies van versorgingspersoneel
by ’n fasiliteit vir volwassenes met intellektuele gestremdheid aangaande hul lewensgehalte. Die
doel van die studie was om die lewensgehalte te verstaan van versorgingspersoneel wat na
volwassenes met intellektuele gestremdheid omsien. Daar is gebruik gemaak van teorieë met
betrekking tot die positiewe sielkunde, met spesifi eke verwysing na fortigeniese aannames.
Hierdie kwalitatief interpreterende studie is uitgevoer in ’n fasiliteit vir volwassenes met
intellektuele gestremdheid en 12 versorgers by die fasiliteit het vrywillig deelgeneem. Data is
ingesamel deur gestruktureerde oop-einde vrae, asook informele en fokusgroeponderhoude, en
later tematies geanaliseer. Die temas wat in die studie aangespreek is, wentel om die versorgers
se 1) defi nisie van lewensgehalte, 2) hul persepsie van hul huidige lewensgehalte, 3) hul persepsie
van die negatiewe faktore, stressore, positiewe ervarings en psigofortologiese faktore wat ’n
uitwerking op hul lewensgehalte uitoefen en 4) moontlikhede om hul lewensgehalte te verbeter..
Die bevindings toon ’n paradoks van sorgverskaffi ng aan waar die deelnemers nie slegs oor
sorgverskaffi ng rapporteer nie, maar ook oor die ontvangs van sorg in hul verhoudinge met
volwassenes met intellektuele gestremdheid. In hierdie verhouding blyk dit dat sorgverskaffi ng
’n fortigenese faktor en ook ’n wyse vir interpersoonlike. fl orering is vir die meeste van die
deelnemers. Gegrond op die bevindings word verskeie aanbevelings gedoen rakende verdere
navorsing ten einde die lewensgehalte te verbeter van die personeel wat sorg verskaf aan
volwassenes met intellektuele gestremdhede.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The concept “quality of life” is a product of as well as a means to the universal movement towards empowerment of individuals, equity and “health for all” (World Health Organisation, 1995, 1998). As a sensitising concept and social construct, quality of life facilitates programmatic, community and societal change. Within the fi eld of intellectual disabilities there is a rising interest in improving the quality of life of people with intellectual disability. This is enhanced by the movement towards deinstitutionalisation, which generally sees staff caregivers as providers of a quality product. Accordingly, there is a growing emphasis on staff stress and well-being in order to improve service delivery. Within the fi eld of positive psychology there is a need for a greater emphasis on staff well-being and positive experiences. It is argued, however, that there is not suffi cient theory crediting the range of experiences and perceptions of staff caregivers (Hastings & Horne, 2004). Prior research on staff caregivers generally focused on pathology, for example stress and burnout. The study on which the article is based, focused on the perceptions of formal caregivers in an institution for the intellectually impaired about their quality of life. The aim was to understand the self-perceived quality of life of staff caring for adults with intellectual disabilities using Positive Psychology theories, and, more specifi cally, fortigenic principles. We focused on negative factors, pure positive experiences and fortigenic factors that enable movement to the wellness or disease poles of a health/disease continuum. It was envisaged that the study could make a contribution to the fi eld of intellectual disabilities by expanding the focus on staff wellbeing and thereby enhancing service delivery. It could also possibly add to the fi eld of positive psychology by increasing our understanding of what makes for health (quality) and not disease. This qualitative interpretive study was conducted in an institution for adults with intellectual impairment. Twelve caregivers at the institution willingly participated. Purposive sampling was used and data were generated through structured open-ended, informal questions and a focus group interview. The results were subsequently analysed thematically. The aim of the analysis was to investigate the caregivers’ perceptions regarding their quality of life. The themes discussed in the study centre on 1) the caregivers’ defi nition of quality of life, 2) their perception of their current quality of life, 3) their perception of the negative factors, stressors, positive experiences and psychofortological factors that impact on their quality of life, and 4) possibilities for improving their quality of life. The fi ndings indicate a paradox of caregiving where the participants report not only on caregiving, but also on care-receiving within their relationship with the adults with intellectual disabilities. What they receive from the relationship with the adults with intellectual disabilities is unconditional acceptance and meaningfulness that seems to protect them against the stressors of everyday life. Therefore, in this relationship, caregiving seems to be a fortigenic factor for most of the participants and also a means towards interpersonal fl ourishing. On the basis of these fi ndings several recommendations are made for further research, with a view to striving towards improving the quality of life of staff caring for adults with intellectual disabilities. Further research could possibly focus on caregiving as a fortigenic factor with specifi c reference to meaningfulness and unconditional acceptance received by staff caregivers in their relationship with the adults with intellectual disabilities. Another possibility would be to focus on the similarities and differences between these results on the one hand, and the perceptions of formal caregivers of individuals with more severe disabilities on the other. The possible pathogenic side to caregiving as a fortigenic factor also leaves room for further exploration.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The concept “quality of life” is a product of as well as a means to the universal movement towards empowerment of individuals, equity and “health for all” (World Health Organisation, 1995, 1998). As a sensitising concept and social construct, quality of life facilitates programmatic, community and societal change. Within the fi eld of intellectual disabilities there is a rising interest in improving the quality of life of people with intellectual disability. This is enhanced by the movement towards deinstitutionalisation, which generally sees staff caregivers as providers of a quality product. Accordingly, there is a growing emphasis on staff stress and well-being in order to improve service delivery. Within the fi eld of positive psychology there is a need for a greater emphasis on staff well-being and positive experiences. It is argued, however, that there is not suffi cient theory crediting the range of experiences and perceptions of staff caregivers (Hastings & Horne, 2004). Prior research on staff caregivers generally focused on pathology, for example stress and burnout. The study on which the article is based, focused on the perceptions of formal caregivers in an institution for the intellectually impaired about their quality of life. The aim was to understand the self-perceived quality of life of staff caring for adults with intellectual disabilities using Positive Psychology theories, and, more specifi cally, fortigenic principles. We focused on negative factors, pure positive experiences and fortigenic factors that enable movement to the wellness or disease poles of a health/disease continuum. It was envisaged that the study could make a contribution to the fi eld of intellectual disabilities by expanding the focus on staff wellbeing and thereby enhancing service delivery. It could also possibly add to the fi eld of positive psychology by increasing our understanding of what makes for health (quality) and not disease. This qualitative interpretive study was conducted in an institution for adults with intellectual impairment. Twelve caregivers at the institution willingly participated. Purposive sampling was used and data were generated through structured open-ended, informal questions and a focus group interview. The results were subsequently analysed thematically. The aim of the analysis was to investigate the caregivers’ perceptions regarding their quality of life. The themes discussed in the study centre on 1) the caregivers’ defi nition of quality of life, 2) their perception of their current quality of life, 3) their perception of the negative factors, stressors, positive experiences and psychofortological factors that impact on their quality of life, and 4) possibilities for improving their quality of life. The fi ndings indicate a paradox of caregiving where the participants report not only on caregiving, but also on care-receiving within their relationship with the adults with intellectual disabilities. What they receive from the relationship with the adults with intellectual disabilities is unconditional acceptance and meaningfulness that seems to protect them against the stressors of everyday life. Therefore, in this relationship, caregiving seems to be a fortigenic factor for most of the participants and also a means towards interpersonal fl ourishing. On the basis of these fi ndings several recommendations are made for further research, with a view to striving towards improving the quality of life of staff caring for adults with intellectual disabilities. Further research could possibly focus on caregiving as a fortigenic factor with specifi c reference to meaningfulness and unconditional acceptance received by staff caregivers in their relationship with the adults with intellectual disabilities. Another possibility would be to focus on the similarities and differences between these results on the one hand, and the perceptions of formal caregivers of individuals with more severe disabilities on the other. The possible pathogenic side to caregiving as a fortigenic factor also leaves room for further exploration.
Description
CITATION: Wahl, S. & Newmark, R. 2009. Die self-waargenome lewensgehalte van versorgingspersoneel
by ’n fasiliteit vir volwassenes met intellektuele
gestremdheid. Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe, 49(2):289-306.
The original publication is available at http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_issuetoc&pid=0041-475120090002&lng=en&nrm=iso
The original publication is available at http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_issuetoc&pid=0041-475120090002&lng=en&nrm=iso
Keywords
Caregivers -- Quality of life, Caregivers -- South Africa -- Psychological aspects, People with mental disabilities -- Care, Positive psychology
Citation
Wahl, S. & Newmark, R. 2009. Die self-waargenome lewensgehalte van versorgingspersoneel
by ’n fasiliteit vir volwassenes met intellektuele
gestremdheid. Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe, 49(2):289-306.