Family Caregiving and the Site of Care: Four Narratives About End-of-Life Care for Individuals with Dementia

Little is known about end-of-life care for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Four case studies are presented, using data collected by qualitative interviews conducted with family caregivers who were closely involved with end-of-life care for relatives with dementia. The case studies are formatted in two pairs, with one reflecting two deaths occurring at home and the other pair representing two deaths in the nursing home. The cases reveal a range of end-of-life experiences, suggesting that there is not just one “good” path. The extent of care needed, the responsiveness of the individual, the health of the caregiver(s), and the residence and support situations, can all intersect in a variety of ways that make no one scenario the answer for all. Although most people say they would prefer to die at home, in some situations the nursing home can be a satisfactory choice, particularly if hospice is involved. These narrative case studies give the reader insight into the variety of the end-of-life experiences and suggest the environment should be considered as part of the care provision.     

Re B‐S: a glass half full? An exploration of the implications of the Re B‐S judgment on practice in the family courts

The family courts in England and Wales are being significantly reformed in line with the coalition government's aim to speed up the process and increase the numbers of children being adopted from care. In September 2013, the Court of Appeal handed down a judgment, Re B‐S (Children) [2013] EWCA Civ 1146, that has wide‐ranging implications for professional practice and decision making in care proceedings. The judgment challenges the policy direction and provides guidance about what is required before courts can make orders separating children from their birth families, particularly in cases of non‐consensual adoption. In this paper, we outline the changes occurring in the family justice system, some key elements of Re B‐S, and examine the challenges for implementing practice consistent with the requirements of Re B‐S. It is argued that the standards set by Re B‐S are unlikely to be fully implemented without much further attention to the complexities posed by the policy and practice context of social work with children and their families involved in care proceedings.     

A place of our own: a narrative review of the family housing services literature

The problem of family homelessness has been widely recognized by both policymakers and social service providers. What is not clear, however, is the overall effectiveness of housing intervention services provided to homeless families. This narrative review of the literature discusses 10 studies from 1991 to 2013 on both transitional and supportive housing in order to assess under what conditions and for whom these interventions are most effective. More specifically this review evaluates the research regarding which elements of intervention services are most helpful to families, the outcomes associated with these programmes, and the short‐ and long‐term effectiveness of housing interventions. Evidence suggests that while these programmes produce positive outcomes for families, a one‐size‐fits‐all model of housing may not be effective for all families. Limitations and directions for future research are also discussed.     

Depressive symptoms and help‐seeking behaviors among Korean Americans

Cheung M, Leung P, Cheung A. Depressive symptoms and help‐seeking behaviors among Korean Americans Int J Soc Welfare 2011: 20: 421–429 © 2010 The Author(s), International Journal of Social Welfare © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare. Korean Americans represent the fifth largest group of Asian Americans in the USA. This exploratory survey of 205 Korean Americans (92.2 percent foreign born) found that those with depressive symptoms tend to be younger, have lower incomes, and are more concerned about their basic needs, community/social needs, family relationship issues, and healthcare issues than those without depressive symptoms. Income, healthcare concerns, and anxiety were significant predictors of depression. The likelihood of having depressive symptoms among Korean Americans with anxiety was 240 times higher than among those without anxiety, but acculturation was not a significant contributing factor. Most respondents tended to seek advice about their mental health problems from physicians and non‐mental health professionals (friends and religious healers). Implications for social work education, research, practice, and policy are discussed in relation to the need to use evidence‐based practice data to plan culturally relevant services for ethnic minorities.     

暂时性主干家庭的孝道实践研究

笔者通过调查发现用“孝”和“不孝”这种二分法的词汇不能准确表达当前的孝道实践,传统孝道的内涵以一种较为复杂的面貌呈现在人们面前：浑然一体的传统孝道在养与敬、敬与顺等很多领域都呈现出一种分裂的状态,成年子女会因为这种孝道的分裂而感受到一定程度的孝道焦虑,父母内心深处也会有一种深深的无奈。最终双方都会采取一定的行动进行应对,从而促使了新孝道实践的萌芽。     

Positive and negative impacts of job loss on family life: the perceptions of Australian car workers

This article contributes to research on the impact of job loss on families. It is based on survey responses from 371 workers and in‐depth interviews with 39 of them about the family impacts of their job loss from the Mitsubishi car factory in Adelaide in 2004–2005. A majority of workers said family life had been affected by their job loss. Quantitative analysis identified four variables significantly associated with family impacts: marital status, children living at home, employment status and financial management. Qualitative responses showed the predominantly negative impacts were financial strain, loss of relationship stability and general stress and worry, although few faced catastrophic impacts from their job loss. However, in contrast to most previous research, the in‐depth interviews also revealed positive impacts from job loss, such as having more time at home and to spend with their family. We conclude that the existence of ongoing income support and public health insurance in Australia were important in avoiding catastrophic financial impacts on these workers and their families.     

帝室与外家：西汉政治中的家族伦理

随着先秦封建宗法的衰败,秦汉帝国建立了皇帝制度。与之相随的,是西汉外戚势力的极大发展。从这一现象出发,本文试图探寻出一条理解中国传统政治中“家国关系”的新思路。基于对“恩泽侯表”、“百官公卿表”等史料中外戚受爵人数及方式,外戚为官者人数等的统计分析,并结合具体历史文献,本文认为,西汉外戚通过“以亲受爵”的方式广泛地占有社会身份等级中的上层地位,并占有三公九卿、“大司马***将军”等官职中相对大的比重,影响着整个西汉政治的发展。这种现象的产生,一方面同西汉分封同姓诸侯国所造成的中央势弱的“形势”有关,另一方面根源于以“亲亲”与“义”为根基的家族伦理,后者维系着姻亲家族间的支持,从而为西汉帝室与外戚之间联系的形成,奠定了基础。由此,我们可以一窥西汉政治中“家”与“国”的同构性。     

The impact of foster children's behavioural problems on Flemish foster mothers' parenting behaviour

Foster children often have behavioural problems. Behavioural problems influence the level of parenting stress and can lead to a breakdown. In this study, parenting behaviour of foster mothers is mapped, and the influence of behavioural problems and parenting stress on the parenting behaviour 2 years later is examined. Data of behavioural problems, family stress and parenting were gathered from 49 foster mothers. Problem behaviour has a direct negative impact on parenting and leads to less support and more negative control. It also results in more parenting stress. Foster parents need to be trained aiming at preventing ineffective parenting. The well‐being of foster parents needs to be guarded. Higher levels of parenting stress lead to less effective parenting.     

Independent evaluation of the Triple P Positive Parenting Program in family support service settings

The Triple P Positive Parenting Program is a multilevel system of behaviour‐based parenting training and support. The aim of this study was to determine whether implementation of levels 2 and 3 of the Triple P system, designed for primary care settings, enhances parent, child and family outcomes compared with services‐as‐usual in Alberta, Canada. The study employed a quasi‐experimental, single‐blind and post‐test‐only design. A survey incorporating outcome measures was administered to a sample of 1296 parent‐clients. A total of 923 parents responded, including 172 parents who had received a Triple P (level 2 and/or 3) intervention during the previous 12 weeks. A significant interaction was found between participation in a group‐based parent education programme and receipt of Triple P. Parents who participated in a group‐based parent education programme, and who received a Triple P intervention reported somewhat higher levels of need satisfaction than parents who participated in a group‐based parent education programme but who did not receive a Triple P intervention. No significant difference was found between Triple P and service‐as‐usual groups on any secondary outcome measures including parenting stress, positive interaction, family functioning and child problem behaviours.     

Semi‐conditional cash transfers in the form of family allowances for children and adolescents in the informal economy in Argentina

In 2009, Argentina introduced a new transfer programme for children and adolescents younger than age 18 (Universal Child Allowance) that extended coverage under the contributory programme for family allowances to include families in the informal economy and families of unemployed persons. This article describes this innovative programme, compares it with similar programmes in Latin America and analyses its impact on coverage and its possible effects on the welfare of the population. The results indicate that the extension of access to this type of benefit has reduced considerably the coverage gap for the poor and indigent and supports efforts to consolidate the operations of different and poorly coordinated transfer programmes.