Geriatric nursing

The qualitative phenomenological method of Van Manen (1984, 1990) was utilized to illuminate the meaning having a companion animal holds for non-institutionalized adults age 65 and older. Twenty-one written narratives revealed a familial kinship of shared love and companionship. The revelation of elders that their companion animals are family was the primary finding of the study. Indicators of family membership included love and companionship. Love was found to be a blend of three components: Mother-child affection; unconditional positive regard; and the joy of caring for another living being. Companionship between persons in later life and their companion animals was found to be a blend of: Communication; a warm welcome home; shared space, activities of daily living, and playtime; increased social interaction; and caring for self in order to care for another.

By the year 2020 with an estimated 55 million persons age sixty-five or greater, the aging of the population will replace population growth in national importance. In a population top heavy with aged individuals, patterns of disease and disability will be radically different from that of a population with a broad base of neonates. Presently, 86% of individuals age sixty-five and greater are living with one or more chronic diseases that require long-term care. The goal of this research was to define the future role of nurses in long-term care of late life adults. The futures methods used in this descriptive study include trend extrapolation and scenario building. The major finding of this research was the overburdening of the existing care systems by demographic pressures. The results of this research provide nurses with a basis for long-term strategic planning related to the future role of nurses in caring for late life adults.