Social support needs: Discordance between home hospice nurses and former family caregivers

AbstractObjective:The two goals of our study were to (1) identify which of five types of social support (Informational, Esteem, Emotional, Tangible, Belonging) are most cited by hospice nurses and family caregivers and (2) determine the match in perception of support needs.Method:As part of a larger multiphase project, focus groups were conducted with former family caregivers and hospice nurses to discuss their experiences of home hospice care and to gather their opinions on the important issues involved in that care. Transcripts of focus group discussions were coded for support type (Informational, Esteem, Emotional, Tangible, Belonging) based on definitions from the literature. Nurse and caregiver data were compared to assess for potential match.Results:Analysis of coded data suggested that nurses see different types of support to be needed in equal measure across their caseloads, while caregivers expressed priorities for some types of support. Illustrative examples of each type of support are provided and discussed.Significance of Results:Because matching support provided with the type of support desired has been linked to improved physical and psychological outcomes, it is important to focus on this match in healthcare populations particularly vulnerable to psychological stress, including family caregivers of home hospice patients. This research has implications for interventions to match support provision to caregiver needs, or for education for home hospice providers to ensure that they are not only sensitive to the possibility of a broad range of needs but also to the necessity to tailor care to those needs.

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Perceived stress and social support needs among primary family caregivers of ICU Patients in Taiwan

Heart & Lung ◽

10.1016/j.hrtlng.2021.03.001 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 50 (4) ◽

pp. 491-498

Author(s):

Pei-Yu Chang ◽

Tsai-Hsiu Chang ◽

Jung-Min Yu

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Support Needs ◽

Icu Patients ◽

Primary Family

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Abstract TP373: Advancing Stroke Recovery Through Social and Emotional Support

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.48.suppl_1.tp373 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Mary Amatangelo ◽

Janet Prvu Bettger ◽

Karen J Collins ◽

Barry Jackson ◽

Elaine Miller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Well Being ◽

Stroke Survivor ◽

Support Needs ◽

Stroke Survivors ◽

Caregiver Depression ◽

Post Stroke ◽

Post Stroke Depression ◽

Health And Well Being

Background: Post-stroke disability often disrupts family roles and responsibilities. Role reversal, in combination with the disabilities, is emotionally taxing and physically fatiguing for both the stroke survivor and the family caregiver. Depression can result and when left undermanaged can lead to poor health outcomes. Research has shown social support is an important factor in recovery, post-stroke and caregiver depression. Studies have indicated high levels of social support are associated with faster functional recovery and more extensive recovery in stroke survivors. Also, that social support is independently associated with the presence and severity of post stroke depression and that positive social interaction is a significant contributor to variance in initial post stroke depression. Purpose: The purpose of this critical review was to examine the research literature on the relationships of social support and coping strategies with health-related outcomes among stroke survivors and their family caregivers. Methods: Twenty-five articles published between 2000 and 2016, identified by key terms related to stroke survivor and caregiver emotional and adjustment support needs, social support, depression and effective interventions, were reviewed. Results: We found overwhelming evidence that attention to stroke survivor and caregiver social network can advance recovery and improve the health and well being of both stroke survivors and caregivers. Knowledge gaps and focus on emotional and adjustment support needs are not being adequately met by community-based health services. This points to an important need for changes in practice to acclimate stroke survivors and their family caregivers to their new life roles, but also the need for more rigorous studies. Conclusions: In addition to more research, there is a critical need for changes in facilitating transitions of care to meet the emotional and adjustment needs in the stroke population. Encouraging health professionals to screen for social network presence and size and promoting support-seeking behavior may help advance recovery and improve the health and well being of stroke survivors and family caregivers.

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