Home Health Care and Family Responsibility: A critical discourse analysis of talk and text

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Date
2013-10
Authors
Funk, Laura
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Longwoods
Abstract
This paper addresses how families’ roles and responsibility for care are constructed within home health (in contrast to the responsibility of home health). A discourse analysis informed by a critical theoretical approach was used to analyze qualitative interviews with 13 home health managers and clinical leaders (Western Canada), alongside home care documents. When referring to family involvement, the importance of supporting a client’s choice to stay at home was emphasized. Family members were described as primary providers, with home health having a supplementary role. Agencies seek to avoid “substituting” for family care. Family responsibility was characterized as having both moral and structural value. Nonetheless, some participants advocated flexibility, and recognized potential caregiving challenges. Data provide examples of how agency expectations are communicated to clients and families and become embedded within practice and policy. Findings are viewed within the broader organizational context as representing the “responsibilization” of support.
Description
Funk, L.M. (2013). Home health care and family responsibility: a critical discourse analysis of talk and text. Healthcare Policy, Vol 9 (Special Issue), 86-97. doi: 10.12927/hcpol.2013.23593.
Keywords
home care, service delivery
Citation
Funk, L.M. (2013). Home health care and family responsibility: a critical discourse analysis of talk and text. Healthcare Policy, Vol 9 (Special Issue), 86-97. doi: 10.12927/hcpol.2013.23593.