Search results

Family members provide the bulk of care to persons in later life, representing the vast majority of caregivers. However, studies confirm that men with a history of divorce are less likely than married men to view family members as potential caregivers. This chapter presents findings from a qualitative study on the experiences of 21 ex-wives who chose to provide mostly end-of-life care to their ex-husbands in mid- and late-life. We examine questions about the situational and motivating factors behind ex-wife caregivers’ decisions, and provide, as background, findings about their pre- and post-divorce relationships. Relational outcomes of the caregiving situation also are considered. Several themes emerge, including patterns of proximity and continued contact post-divorce, despite often chaotic former marital relationships; a desire to spare children from the burdens of care; and an opportunity to renew communication or connections with family through the process of caregiving. Implications of our findings include the need to acknowledge ex-spouses as potential caregivers and better understand the enduring bonds between ex-spouses.

As the only research-intensive university in South Africa outside a metropolitan area, Rhodes University’s mission has foregrounded community engagement (CE) for over a decade, in order to contribute to the development of the surrounding region. This involves building stronger social compacts with community partners through meaningful student engagement in socially accountable ways. In Psychology as a discipline within South Africa, there are strong imperatives for transformation, and decolonization of psychological theory, research, and therapeutic practice require re-examination of curricula, in conjunction with contextual needs for increasing access to psychological assistance. This chapter aims to illustrate ways in which we have worked to translate ideas from the Psychology discipline into CE activities, which in turn has created new knowledge.

Community-based service learning (CBSL) has been embedded into three Psychology Honors-level modules, resonating with the students’ desires to contribute to greater social justice through translating theory into “real world” activities. This research draws from the experiences of the module coordinators (the authors), providing perceptions of coordinating a CBSL module. We assess the contributions and benefits for both students and community partners, also highlighting the challenges encountered. The case studies of modules outline their philosophy, content, and value. Partnership development is described, and students’ reflections on two modules (Community Psychology and Childhood Disability & Mental Health) provide examples of some of their shifts in understanding applied psychology and increased social awareness. The accounts show how students provided assistance and support in their contributions to the different settings. Recommendations are made for enhancing CBSL, including considerations when planning for students, community partners, and faculty staff.

Many instances of maladaptive behaviors are due at least in part to a lack of social skills. Although there are effective interventions for teaching social skills, generalization of trained social skills remains a challenge. One promising way to enhance generalization may be to use functional behavior assessments to select social skills to teach that can meet individuals’ specific needs. This chapter describes a process for embedding function-based support into social skills interventions that may generalize to untrained settings. The chapter concludes with a case study demonstrating generalization of positive peer interaction from recess to a classroom setting for a grade two student. Results indicated that the student’s behavior during recess and during classroom instruction both changed upon implementation of the recess intervention, and these behaviors maintained over three months after the intervention was withdrawn.

The chapter provides instruction on how public libraries can improve the services that they provide to community members with print-related disabilities.

A combination of methods was used (interview, survey, document analysis, usability testing, and expert inspection), to investigate the current level of service provided to community members who are blind or low vision by the Baltimore County Public Library, in five areas:

1. Web Accessibility and Maintenance

2. Staff Awareness and Training

3. Physical Environment of the Library

4. Library offerings, including databases, materials, and equipment: what we have now and what we should have

5. Marketing materials: what, how, and where to be more visible

In all five areas, there were important findings about current barriers to accessibility, and suggestions for improvement in the future were made in the chapter.

The chapter details the steps taken by a large public library system, in a challenging budget environment, with changing leadership, to make improvements in the quality of service provided to people who are blind or low vision.

In the past, people with print-related disabilities were often referred to the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. However, over time, the nature of materials acquisitions at public libraries has changed. A large percentage of materials acquired by public libraries is now in digital format, which provides an opportunity for public libraries to start providing services to people with print disabilities.