高齡父母照顧中途致障子女之壓力調適歷程研究

Abstract

隱身在社會的角落中，有一群高齡者除了需面對進入高齡期後生理、心理、社會的老化，也因子女無預期的生病致障，原本應該被子女扶持與照顧的晚年，卻得重啟父母的照顧角色—擔任子女的主要照顧者 。父母深情，子女永遠是父母放不下的牽掛!這群高齡者正面臨了老化與照顧子女的雙重壓力與挑戰，需要你我的關懷。 本研究旨在探究高齡父母照顧中途致障子女之壓力調適歷程，使用質性研究方法，選擇五位高齡父母進行半結構式深入訪談，首先了解高齡父母在面對中途致障子女時的生理、心理狀態及社會角色變化；其次探究高齡父母在照顧中途致障子女時的壓力；並歸納高齡父母照顧時的壓力調適策略與歷程。最後提供為人子女者、高齡照顧者、照顧相關社福單位、政府部門及未來研究相關建議。 本研究主要發現說明如下： 一、高齡父母面對中途致障子女的生理、心理及社會角色變化，生理變 化會影響到生活功能的運作、心理變化會影響生理變化及另尋高安全性活動代替原有社交活動。 二、高齡父母照顧中途致障子女時的壓力，包含面對照顧初期的壓力， 首重認識疾病與照顧知能；承接照顧責任的壓力，首要解決經濟負 荷；維持照顧責任的壓力，首要改善健康老化；壓力影響生活層面 擴及生理、心理、經濟、社交等層面，首重於親友的適度支持。 三、高齡父母照顧中途致障子女時的壓力調適策略，以因應問題解決導 向的調適為主，情緒導向的調適為輔。 關鍵字：高齡父母、中途致障、壓力調適

Due to unexpected illness, some aged parents play the role of caregivers for the adult children with acquired disabilities. The purpose of this study was to explore the stress coping process of these aged parents. Five aged parents were the subjects for this study. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted to collect data. The main findings showed that： 1. The changes in the physical, psychological and social roles of aged parents while caring for their adult children with acquired disabilities. Physiological changes affected the living functions, psychological changes affected the physiological aging that the aged parents participated in more secure activities instead. 2. The stress that the aged parents perceived included: deficient in disease and caring, caring responsibilities, economic burden, psychological and physiological aging, and disconnected social network. 3. The stress coping strategies that the aged parents caring for adult children with acquired disabilities used were mainly to problem-focused oriented, and emotion- focused supplemented.

key words：aged parents、acquired disability、stress coping process