Gerontological Nursing Interventions Research Center (GNIRC)

Title: Anglo and Hispanic Care Networks for Rural Community Dwelling Elders: Pilot Test

Principal Investigator: Lisa Skemp, PhD, RN

Study Site: University of Iowa

Abstract

The long term goal of my program of research is to promote health and quality of life for ethnic elders and the communities in which they live. This application builds on research conducted in a bi-cultural Midwestern community. The objective of this pilot study is to assess the feasibility and utility of the methods to be used in submission of a new investigator RO1. The purpose of the larger study is to describe how Anglo and Hispanic community members construct elder care systems to promote health and quality of life. The specific aims for the pilot research are to: 1) Determine the feasibility, utility and cultural appropriateness of ethnographic strategies used to compare and contrast rural Anglo and Hispanic elder network members’ perceptions of elders’ needs, preferences and satisfaction with care over time; 2) Determine the suitability of EgoNet software for use in data collection, management and analysis of individual and aggregate elder care networks over time; 3)  Determine the suitability of EgoNet and NVivo software packages for analysis of rural Anglo and Hispanic elders’ care exchange patterns and how these patterns are informed by perceptions and network size and characteristics; and 4) Develop and train a bi-cultural research team including a bilingual research assistant from the Hispanic community. Ethnographic interviews, participant observation and network analysis methods will collect information on four elders and their network members at baseline, 3, 6, and 9 months. This pilot allows development of a bicultural research team and refinement of methods for the RO1.