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The case sludy method assesses how marriages change for healthy wivcs upon institutionalization of their husbands. Family systems theory suggests that healthy spouses are also affected by this residential change. Conversations with three women whose husbands moved to a nursing home dealt with issues such as expressions of love, physical affection, support systems, activities, needs, and expectalions. Despite sparse past research in this area, it appears that non-institutionalized spouses have problems unique to their circumstances. Those working with the elderly must recognize that nursing home patients are not the only individuals requiring care; non-institutionalized spouses may be the hidden clients.
Kaplan et al. (Tue,) studied this question.