Adaptive Challenges Rising from the Life Context of African-American Caregiving Grandmothers with Diabetes: A Pilot Study

Healthcare

Dana Carthron³  Donald E. Bailey¹  Ruth Anderson⁴  Tracey L. Yap² 

[1] School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA; E-Mail:;id="af1-healthcare-03-00710">1School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402, U;School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA;School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; E-Mail:

关键词: Grandmothers raising grandchildren;    caregiving;    African-American;    older adults;    diabetes;    self-management;    adaptive leadership;    qualitative longitudinal;    retention;   

DOI  :  10.3390/healthcare3030710

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

To understand the challenges arising from the context within which diabetic African-American caregiving grandmothers self-manage their diabetes we used the Adaptive Leadership Framework. Additionally, challenges to retaining this population in a longitudinal study were examined. In this exploratory, longitudinal, qualitative pilot study, data were collected at five time-points over 18 months. We coded the data using content analysis and conducted the within-case and cross-case analyses using data matrices. Lack of awareness of available resources, represented a technical challenge within the life context of these grandmothers and the remaining three themes: family upheaval; priority setting (with subthemes of difficulty meeting basic needs and competing demands); and self-silencing and self-sacrifice represented adaptive challenges. The context of African-American grandmothers’ lives created primarily adaptive challenges that were complex and without immediate solutions. Research is needed to develop culturally and contextually appropriate interventions to help this vulnerable group develop capacity for adaptive work.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.