Home Care Acceptable or Unacceptable to Batangueño Families

This study aimed to explore on the emotional effects of nursing home care to elderly. Specifically, it identified the reasons for bringing the elderly to a nursing home and determined the level of acceptance of Batangueño families in nursing home care. Ten geriatric residents from two different home care institutions acted as participants of the study. They were interviewed using an interview guide questionnaire, and then recorded to gather the necessary information. One care giver of each institution was asked to answer a checklist regarding the reasons why the elderly was brought to the institution. Fifty families of each of the four districts in Batangas province was incidentally asked to answer the checklist regarding the level of acceptance in establishing nursing homes. Four themes were formulated and emerged as a result of the study, namely: feelings of sadness being away from home and family, longing for the presence of family members, feelings of abandonment, feelings of being a burden to their families and relatives. The main reason why the elderly was brought to the nursing home is “No available family member to take care of the elderly.” The results showed home care was moderately acceptable to Batangueño Families.

Keywords – Home Care, geriatric, care giver, sadness, abandonment