THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LEVEL OF HEALTH CARE AND THE SELF-CONCEPT OF INSTITUTIONALIZED AGED PERSONS
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine if there were significant relationships between the selected institutional variables and the self-concept of the residents of selected intermediate care facilities. The sample population was composed of 226 matched female Jewish subjects from seven randomly selected intermediate care facilities. The Tennessee Self Concept Scale was used to measure the self-concept of the subjects. The cost data for the selected institutional variables was obtained from New York State cost data on health related facilities (ICF). The other essential screening information for the subjects was obtained from the personnel folders of each of the participating facilities. The major findings of this study were as follows: (1) No significant relationship existed between the cost of administration and the Total Positive Self-concept scores of ICF subjects. (2) A significant relationship at the .05 level was found to exist between the cost of cleanliness and safety and the Total Positive Self-Concept scores of ICF subjects. (3) A significant relationship at the .01 level was found to exist between the cost of food and nutrition and the Total Positive Self-Concept scores of ICF subjects. (4) No significant relationship existed between the cost of nursing service and the Total Positive Self-Concept scores of ICF subjects. (5) A significant relationship at the .01 level was found to exist between the cost of recreational activities and the Total Positive Self-Concept scores of ICF subjects. (6) No significant relationship existed between the cost of social work services and the Total Positive Self-Concept scores of ICF subjects. The major conclusions derived from this study were: (1) The costs of administration, nursing, and social work were not significantly related to the self-concept of Jewish female subjects among the intermediate care facilities studied. (2) The costs of cleanliness and safety, food and nutrition, and recreation were significantly related to the self-concept of Jewish female subjects among the intermediate care facilities studied. (3) The expenditure of larger sums of money on ICF professional staff does not necessarily yield higher self-concept scores among ICF subjects. (4) ICF subjects in facilities that spent the larger percentage of their service budget on cleanliness and safety, food and nutrition, and recreational activities tended to exhibit the higher mean Total Positive Self-Concept scores. Recommendations. In view of the findings of this study, the following steps designed to help establish improved standards of health care services in nursing home facilities are recommended: (1) Funding agencies, administrators, and others working to improve the health conditions available to the institutionalized aged should establish and publicize new regulations with higher standards for essential services such as cleanliness and safety, food and nutrition, and recreational activities. These concerned groups should note that there is generally a direct positive correlation between the percentage of the service budget spent by the selected ICFs on the services cited and the Total Positive Self-Concept of ICF subjects. (2) Administrators of intermediate care facilities should reconsider the efficacy of the higher spending for administration, nursing service, and social work since the findings of this study indicate that there is no significant correlation between these services and the self-concept of ICF residents.
Subject Area
School administration
Recommended Citation
YOUNG, ERNEST, "THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LEVEL OF HEALTH CARE AND THE SELF-CONCEPT OF INSTITUTIONALIZED AGED PERSONS" (1981). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI8109075.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI8109075
