ENGENDERING HOPE IN ELDERLY PERSONS

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ENGENDERING HOPE IN ELDERLY PERSONS

• Brian Hart, RN, MSc
• Julie Parker, MSW, RSW

...when care is complicated
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Learning Objectives

• Recognize the significance of hope
• Become familiar with a theory of hope
• Understand hope within the context of the elderly
  person
• Become familiar with hope measurement tools
• Apply hope engendering strategies when working
  with elderly persons

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Pandoras Box to The 21st Century

• Hope is a foolish counselor (Plato)
• Hope is a good breakfast, but a bad supper
  (Francis Bacon)
• He that lives upon hope will die fasting
  (Benjamin Franklin)
• And so by hoping more they have less (Shakespeare)

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Pandoras Box to the 21st Century

• the fruit of hope is love, unity and peace
• Mother Teresa

Martin Luther King Jr.
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Pandoras Box to the 21st Century
Abandon hope all ye who enter here Dante
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Pandoras Box to the 21st Century

• Research has now shown that negative thoughts
  and feelings are related to poorer health,
  coping, and medical recovery.
• Farran (1985)Study suggested a positive
  relationship between hope and health.

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Hope Theory The Trilogy of Hope (GAP)

• Snyder Handbook of Hope (2000)

GOALS
AGENCY
PATHWAYS
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The Trilogy of HopeGoals

• Goals need to be of value
• Hopeful goals have some uncertainty
• Goals should be specific
• Settle on two or three most important goals

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The Trilogy of HopeAgency

• Mental Determination

Goal
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The Trilogy of HopeAgency

• Talk to yourself in positive voices
• Recall your previous successes
• Be able to laugh at yourself
• Consistently get physical exercise and adequate
  rest

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The Trilogy of HopePathway Thought

• Perceived ability to produce routes

Goal
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The Trilogy of HopePathway Thought

• Recognize if you need a new skill
• Cultivate two-way relationships
• Ask for help

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Hope and Elderly Persons

• Maintenance goals high satisfaction
• Health issues, losses, and negative stereotypes
  may impede goal achievement
• Focus on strengths to produce pathways
• Older adulthood is a time of growth

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Hope and Elderly Persons

• Hearth (1993)
• n60 older adults in multiple settings
• interviews, Herth Hope Index, background data
• Explore meaning of hope, identify strategies used
  to maintain hope, and determine the influence of
  demographic and illness variables on hope

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Hope and Elderly Persons

• Findings
• LTC residents and those experiencing fatigue had
  significantly lower levels of hope
• Hope defined as.
• an inner power that facilitates the
  transcendence of the present situation and
  enables a reality-based expectation of a brighter
  tomorrow for self and/or others

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The Measurement of Hope

• HOW TRUE OF YOU IS EACH STATEMENT OF YOU
• 1 Definitely False 2 Mostly False 3 Mostly
  True 4 Definitely True

___ 1. I can think of many way to get out of a
jam. P ___ 2. There are lots of ways around any
problem. P ___ 3. I can think of many ways to
get the things in life that are important
to me. P ___ 4. Even when others get
discouraged, I know I can find a way to solve
the problem. P
___ 5. I energetically pursue my goals. A ___
6. My past experiences have prepared me well for
my future. A ___ 7. Ive been pretty
successful in life. A ___ 8. I meet the goals
that I set for myself. A The Goals Scale
Snyder (1991)
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Case Study Tips Mr. R

• Goals
• Build on what Mr. R values
• Barriers
• Consider health and functional issues
• Pathways
• Consider strengths, resources, and barriers
• Agency
• What would help Mr. R feel motivated?

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Hope Summary

• Think about GAP
• Utilize Hope measurement tools
• Remember the strengths of elderly persons!