The relational nature of case manager resource allocation decision making: an illustrated case.

We used ethnographic methods in the tradition of Spradley (1979) and constant comparative analysis to explore case manager resource allocation decision making. We interviewed; observed and shadowed 11 case managers within a children's home care program in a regional health authority in western Canada as they went about their daily work over a 5-month period. Our findings provide knowledge about the little-understood set of processes at the micro level of resource allocation.

The significance of social engagement in relocated older adults.

Social networks and social support are recognized as important determinants of health. Relocation is a common transition in older adults' lives that can disrupt existing social networks and challenge seniors to reconstitute these networks. Social engagement is a required component of the process of reconstituting social relationships and of feeling connected.

Supporting relationships between family and staff in continuing care settings.

In this Canadian study, a participatory action research approach was used to examine the relationships between families of residents of traditional continuing care facilities and the health care team. The objectives were to (a) explore the formation and maintenance of family-staff relationships, with attention paid to the relational elements of engagement and mutual respect; (b) explore family and staff perspectives of environmental supports and constraints; and (c) identify practical ways to support and enhance these relationships. Results indicate that the resource-constrained context of continuing care has directly impacted family and staff relationships.

Factors that influence case managers' resource allocation decisions in pediatric home care: an ethnographic study.

Background: Case managers make decisions that directly affect the amount and type of services home care clients receive and subsequently affect the overall available health care resources of home care programs. A recent systematic review of the literature identified significant knowledge gaps with respect to resource allocation decision-making in home care.

Methods: Using Spradley's methodology, we designed an ethnographic study of a children's home care program in Western Canada.

Family caregivers and transition to long-term care.

This study's purpose was to explore family caregivers' experiences while they waited placement of family members with dementia in long-term care and how they coped during this period of waiting and transition. In this exploratory descriptive qualitative study, interviews were conducted with 29 caregivers at entry to the placement wait-list and at 3 to 4-month intervals thereafter. Final interviews, with 15 caregivers, were conducted shortly after admission to long-term care.