ELDERS IN ASSISTED LIVING

205 Pages·2015·1.83 MB·English

by  Lisa Lynne Kirkpatrick

ELDERS IN ASSISTED LIVING: EXCAVATING
HOSPITALITY FROM WITHIN
by
Lisa L. Kirkpatrick, M. Ed.
A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Council of
Texas State University in fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
with a major in Adult, Professional and Community Education
May 2015

Committee Members:
Michael O’Malley, Chair
Joellen Coryell
Martha Ann Kirk
Robert F. Reardon
COPYRIGHT
by
Lisa L. Kirkpatrick
2015
FAIR USE AND AUTHOR’S PERMISSION STATEMENT
Fair Use
This work is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553,
section 107). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations
from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgment. Use of this material for
financial gain without the author’s express written permission is not allowed.
Duplication Permission
As the copyright holder of this work I, Lisa L. Kirkpatrick, authorize duplication of this
work, in whole or in part, for educational or scholarly purposes only.
DEDICATION
I dedicate this entire journey to my father, James Timothy Kirkpatrick.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This entire doctoral experience and research endeavor would not have been
possible without the expertise and encouragement from my dissertation chair and
committee members, the faculty in my doctoral program, as well as the unending support
from my family, classmates, mentors, friends and supervisors. I wish to thank each of
them by name. Most importantly, I also want to thank the elders and staff at my research
site for such a transformational experience—you have changed my life forever.
I begin with special thanks to Dr. Michael O’Malley, my dissertation chair, and
one of the first faculty members I had in my coursework. Not only did he move me
beyond my second-wave feminist self, he also taught me more about postmodern
education philosophy than I could ever dream. I have learned to think more deeply and
critically through his mentorship. I am also grateful for his understanding of spirituality
and theology in education. While that is my passion, I never dreamed I would find such a
talented scholar in my midst that also claimed excitement about the topic!
I also want to thank my committee members. Dr. Joellen Coryell, thank you for
your guidance and for introducing me to Kwame Anthony Appiah! Dr. Robert Reardon,
I think I enrolled in every organizational development class taught by you that I could
find! Your engineering mind and your educator stance combined made my entire
experience at Texas State so very meaningful—and, of course, you re-introduced me to
Peter Senge, another inspiring scientist and social activist. And, Sr. Martha Kirk from the
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University of Incarnate Word, who I first met at the Whitehouse during President
Obama’s interfaith initiative: thank you for modeling a Catholic feminist way of being
and seeing that only inspires me more each day! While Dr. Ann Brooks did not serve on
my committee, she introduced me to qualitative research and invited me to see myself as
a co-creator of knowledge—I essentially found my own voice and my dissertation topic
in her classroom (and at Kerby Lane) and I will always be grateful for her guidance and
mentorship! Also a very special thanks to Dr. Elizabeth Belasco for her unending
patience with editing this research study with me!
I want to thank my family as well! My father’s inspiration, sheer will, role
modeling and constant encouragement set the stage for my return to higher education in
my 40s. Thanks dad, for making it possible for me. Mom, thank you for passing along
your resilience, hopefulness, and positive attitude, even when times get tough. And, I
offer a special and broader thanks to the rest of my family (Amy Castillo, Tom Washam,
Uncle Mike and Aunt Joy, Uncle Jim and Aunt Laura) for tolerating my absence for the
past six years as I waded through my program!
I started my doctorate when my son was almost 10 years old, and now, he is 16.
We have done our homework together for years now! As I finish, he is preparing for
college himself and I am so proud of him. Thank you, Alejandro Liam, for putting up
with a mom that was often so tired or late or both! You are growing up to be an amazing
young man and I hope for you the best education this world can offer. Be inspired and
make this world a better place for those to come! I also remarried during my program
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and suddenly I had a partner who stepped in and took care of life’s day-to-day challenges
so that I could study and write. Thank you Mark Schumacher for always being there for
me and never giving up on my ability! Thank you for shopping, caring for Alejandro,
making meals and managing all the broken stuff in our home. You are my soulmate and I
am grateful for you.
Many, many thanks to my mentor and supervisor, Dr. Sandra Pacheco, who
patiently and tirelessly processed my worries, fears and challenges throughout my
coursework, dissertation research, and writing! Her reassuring presence, and time she
allowed me to do what I needed to do, make me forever in her debt. Thank you for role
modeling for me that single parenting and dissertating IS possible! I also must thank Sr.
Donna Jurick, “my boss’s boss,” who essentially told me the best dissertation is a done
dissertation! And, “Lisa, do not take on one more committee until that dissertation is
done!” And, of course, the bourbon fudge that got me through chapter 4 and 5!
There is another mentor and friend, a member of my APCE Cohort 09, who made
all the difference in the world for me during my program and the dissertation. He was
my advisor and confidant, my coach and dear friend. Dr. Brandon Beck, I seriously
could not have made it through without you! While thinking of my cohort family, I want
to especially thank now Drs. Michelle Smith, Susan Upshaw, Helen Gadsen-Ross, and
Sylvia Pirtle for their love and friendship.
In significant gratitude, I must thank my team at St. Edward’s University who
held the fort down and gave me the space to go back to school, without missing a beat!
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Nicole Trevino, Connie Rey Rodriguez, Sara Beth Cowe, Daniel Hawthorne, Steven
Pinkenburg and Jen Wichman, what a team we were and are! Thank you for your
confidence in me and for working so hard to serve our students! And, to my girlfriend
circle, especially Beth Henderson, Yvette Garcia, Jan Long and Krista Nagel, who gave
me backbone and strength to manage multiple life tasks all at once…knowing that so
many of you have overcome greater challenges gave me hope that I could accomplish this
significant life goal of a Ph.D!
In closing, my value of education for all, in whatever form, compels me to
acknowledge the college campuses, with amazing colleagues and students, that have
supported me and shaped me up and into this very moment in time, including Texas State
University and Ohio University, as well as my dear St. Edward’s University.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................v
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................... ix
LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... xiii
LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... xiv
ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................................xv
CHAPTER
I. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1
Central Theme and Background ..................................................................4
Demographic Trends ........................................................................4
Critical Issues and Questions Related to
Demographic Trends ............................................................6
Assisted Living Facilities .................................................................8
Elder Characteristics in AL Based on First Comprehensive
National Data Collection Effort .........................................13
Reflexivity..................................................................................................13
Personal Experience Informing the Study .....................................15
Placement of my parent in assisted living ..........................15
Observations of elders surrounding my
parent in AL ...........................................................16
Journey with my parent in, during and
out of assisted living ..............................................17
Statement of the Problem ...........................................................................17
Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................18
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Need for the Study .....................................................................................20
Research Site Profile ..................................................................................22
Research Questions ....................................................................................22
Objectives of the Qualitative Research Study ...........................................24
Definition of Terms....................................................................................26

II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .......................................................................33

Introduction to the Theoretical and Conceptual Framework .....................33
Theories and Models Informing the Study ....................................35
Feminism as a backdrop.....................................................35
Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial
development and Joan Erikson’s
addition of a ninth stage .........................................39
Catholic social teaching as a model, and
specifically, hospitality as a concept
and act within/performance of ...............................43
Postmodern hospitality...........................................47
Public hospitality ...................................................50
Houses of hospitality..............................................51
Cosmopolitanism ...................................................53
Conceptual Framework ..................................................................60
Application of Theoretical Framework to O’Connor’s
The Displaced Person-An Exercise in Data Analysis ...................62
Summary ....................................................................................................74

III. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................77

Introduction to Qualitative Inquiry ............................................................77
Narrative Inquiry ........................................................................................79
Research Design.........................................................................................85
Participants .....................................................................................86
Role of Researcher .........................................................................89
Information Collection ...................................................................92
Information Analysis .....................................................................95

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