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Paid Companions: A Private Care Option for Older Adults*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2013

Linda Outcalt
Linda Outcalt*
Affiliation:
Centre on Aging, University of Victoria
*
†Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to / La correspondance et les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à: Linda Outcalt, M.A. Centre on Aging University of Victoria P.O. Box 1700 STN CSC Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2 (loutcalt@uvic.ca)
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Résumé

Les compagnons rémunérés, fonctionnant d’une façon autonome ou par le biais des agences privées de soins à domicile, effectuent une variété de services pour les personnes âgées nanties qui peuvent se payer pour le soutien privé dans leurs maisons et dans les centres qui dispensent tels soins. Cette étude a examiné le travail accompli par les compagnons rémunérés, en s’appuyant sur des entretiens semi-structurés, ouverte, des entrevues en personne et d’élicitation des photos auto-pilotées (par lequel les individus prennent leur propres photos et en discuter plus tard dans les entretiens) avec 30 participants (15 compagnons, 8 clients et 7 informateurs clés). Les résultats ont révelé que, de plusieurs façons, les services fournis par les compagnons pour les clients qui vivent dans leurs propres maisons ressemblent aux soins à domicile basés sur les tâches, mais l’accent mis sur le travail est différent. Les relations sociales et émotionelles avec les clients sont au centre de leur travail. Les compagnons basés dans les établissements jouent un rôle unique, remplissant le vide laissé par les compressions budgetaires des ratios de dotation en personnel, qui garde les résidents âgés, souvent atteint de démence, impliqués et engagés dans le monde.

Keywords

vieillissmentprestation des soinscompagnons rémunéréssoins à domicile privésélicitation des photos auto-pilotéesagingcaregivingpaid companionsprivate home carephoto elicitation
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 32 , Issue 1 , March 2013 , pp. 87 - 102
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2013

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Footnotes

*

This research was conducted as part of the M.A. degree program at the University of Victoria, and was supported by awards from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (CGS Master’s Scholarship), the University of Victoria (President’s Research Scholarship), the Sara Spencer Foundation, the BC Network on Aging Student Data Collection Award, and a BC Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services Student Led Research Grant. I thank the research participants for sharing their experiences with me. I also thank Neena Chappell and Laura Funk for their reviews of an earlier version of this manuscript.

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