Analysis of a Research Project on Dementia Patients Being Cared for by Adult Daughters

The research questions were essential to guiding the explorative study. They are directly stated and identifiable and reflect the information provided in the literature review.

Research Hypothesis

Due to the lack of information regarding the perspectives of women with dementia on the care they receive from their adult daughters, there is not sufficient data to formulate a hypothesis. The research was aimed more towards building a knowledge base and developing a theory than towards testing a hypothesis. The exclusion of a hypothesis is appropriate based on the exploratory nature of the study.

Research Study Design

The research design and tradition are not identified within the report. It is mentioned though, that the data analysis followed the guidelines of Lofland and Lofland’s (1995) publication of Analyzing social settings: A guide to qualitative observation and analysis. The recruiting and sampling process included posting flyers out in the community and contacting health professionals in contact with women with dementia and/or their families. After recruiting a sample group, participants were selected based on the criteria including consent from both parties, the ability to speak English, at least 2 hours of care per week provided by the daughter, a score of 17 or higher on the Standardizes Mini-Mental Status Examination (SMMSE) by the mother, and good verbal and comprehension skills.

If both the mother and daughter consented to participation than “an in-depth, focused interviewing approach,” was used to collect data (Ward-Griffin, Bol, & Oudshoom, 2006). Field notes were transcribed immediately after each interview, and memos and notes were used to keep track of the researcher’s thoughts. Team analysis was conducted in orde...

... middle of paper ...

...university. The researchers succeeded in protecting the rights of the participants.

Conclusion

The report was well written, organized, and provided sufficient detail for a critical analysis. Each of the researchers has substantial qualifications and credibility which leads to confidence in their findings and interpretation of the data. The study was limited by the small sample, but the findings still provide insight into the perceptions and experience of older women with dementia (Ward-Griffin, Bol, & Oudshoom, 2006). The study contributes to the development of practices and policies that take into consideration the perspectives of care receiving by those with dementia. By eliciting change in health care practice, nurses have the potential to “address older women’s’ sense of disentitlement and marginal social status” (Ward-Griffin, Bol, & Oudshoom, 2006, p. 139)