scholarly journals Family Caregivers as Advocates

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 64-64
Author(s):  
C Grace Whiting
Keyword(s):  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Multiple Roles ◽  
Care Recipient ◽  
Policy Action ◽  
Caregiver Support ◽  
The Public ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Life Circumstances ◽  
Caregiver Role ◽  
National Alliance

Abstract This presentation discusses the growing influence of family caregiver advocacy and its prospects for impacting policy under the Biden administration, at both the federal and states levels. In particular, it will describe the National Alliance for Caregiving’s 50-state unified strategy for establishing the caregiver support infrastructure that is needed to coordinate efforts and to support caregivers across the nation and the lifespan. Historically, family caregivers have had difficulty acting as effective advocates, given the multiple roles they often play and their widely divergent interests, based on the varying needs of their care recipient and their divergent life circumstances. However, the Biden administration has indicated receptivity to caregiver issues, and the public has become increasingly aware of the caregiver role (in part, due to the pandemic), resulting in improved prospects for policy action at both the state and federal levels. This presentation reviews recent developments and discusses strategies for moving forward.

scholarly journals The 2020 Portrait of American Caregivers

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 681-681
Author(s):  
Regina Shih
Keyword(s):  
Family Member ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Care Recipient ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Complex Care ◽  
The Past ◽  
Care Recipients ◽  
The Us ◽  
National Alliance

Abstract The prevalence of caregiving for an adult or child with special needs has increased significantly in the past five years (from 18.2% to over 21.3%), driven by an increase in the prevalence of caring for a family member or friend aged 50 and older. At the same time, care recipients have greater health and functional needs that necessitate care from others in comparison to 2015. These new 2020 data from the Caregiving in the US Survey by the National Alliance for Caregiving suggests that not only are more American adults taking on the role of caregiver, but they are doing so for increasingly complex care situations. This paper addresses the prevalence of caregiving including the demographics of family caregivers, relationship between the caregiver and the care recipient, health conditions of the care recipient, and living situations of care recipients and their caregivers.

scholarly journals Family Caregiver Support of Patient Self-Management During Chronic, Life-Limiting Illness: A Qualitative Metasynthesis

2020 ◽  
pp. 107484072097718
Author(s):  
Dena Schulman-Green ◽  
Shelli L. Feder ◽  
J. Nicholas Dionne-Odom ◽  
Janene Batten ◽  
Victoria Jane En Long ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiver ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Caregiver Support ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
The Family ◽  
Integral Role ◽  
Caregiver Role ◽  
Search Quality

Family caregivers play an integral role in supporting patient self-management, yet how they perform this role is unclear. We conducted a qualitative metasynthesis of family caregivers’ processes to support patient self-management of chronic, life-limiting illness and factors affecting their support. Methods included a systematic literature search, quality appraisal of articles, data abstraction, and data synthesis to produce novel themes. Thirty articles met inclusion criteria, representing 935 international family caregivers aged 18 to 89 years caring for patients with various health conditions. Three themes characterized family caregivers’ processes to support patient self-management: “Focusing on the Patient’s Illness Needs,” “Activating Resources to Support Oneself as the Family Caregiver,” and “Supporting a Patient Living with a Chronic, Life-Limiting Illness.” Factors affecting family caregivers’ support included Personal Characteristics, Health Status, Resources, Environmental Characteristics, and the Health Care System. The family caregiver role in supporting patient self-management is multidimensional, encompassing three processes of care and influenced by multiple factors.

scholarly journals State-Level Policy Actions to Support Family Caregivers

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 64-64
Author(s):  
Molly Evans
Keyword(s):  
Family Caregivers ◽  
State Level ◽  
Policy Action ◽  
Caregiver Support ◽  
Paid Leave ◽  
Legislative Action ◽  
The Status ◽  
Support Employment ◽  
Unpaid Leave ◽  
Support Family

Abstract The stresses created by the growing need for family caregivers have failed to prompt federal policy action; in its absence, states are stepping up. This review of state policies that support employment among family caregivers found six main categories of legislative action: paid leave; expanding federally mandated unpaid leave; paid sick time; unemployment insurance for job loss attributable to caregiving duties; establishing family caregivers as a protected classification in employment discrimination; and flexible or alternative work schedules. Despite the demand for policies that support and empower working caregivers, a minority of states have passed such legislation; to date, 9 states have implemented paid family leave; 14 have implemented mandatory sick leave legislation; and 14 have expanded FMLA. This study discusses state-level policy actions, reviews the status and importance of these policies, and finds that despite gaps in caregiver support legislation at the state level, there is significant and promising momentum.

scholarly journals Crianças dependentes de tecnologia, um desafio na educação em saúde: estudo descritivo

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 399
Author(s):  
Muriel Fernanda de Lima ◽  
Jorseli Angela Henriques Coimbra ◽  
Bruna Caroline Rodrigues ◽  
Bruno Maschio Neto ◽  
Roberta Tognollo Borotta Uema ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Support System ◽  
Family Care ◽  
Pediatric Intensive Care ◽  
Caregiver Support ◽  
The Public ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
Health Support ◽  
The Many

Aim: to verify how the health team of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) promotes the training of family caregivers of children dependent on technology (CDT); to identify the factors that interfere with family care for CDT in the PICU environment and at home; and to verify the health support system offered in home care to caregivers. Method: This is a qualitative-descriptive study with 14 CDT family caregivers. Thematic Content Analysis was used as a strategy of analysis and Symbolic Interactionism as a theoretical reference. Results: There is a deficiency in terms of caregiver support, disinformation and lack of knowledge related to complex care, and a disjointed and almost non-existent support system among the many factors that influence CDT care. Conclusion: there were gaps in the care setting for CDT, especially in the health education process of caregivers and in the follow-up and monitoring by the public services.

scholarly journals Typologies of Dementia Caregiver Support Networks: A Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther M Friedman ◽  
David Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Support Networks ◽  
Care Recipient ◽  
Support Network ◽  
Personal Network ◽  
Large Networks ◽  
Caregiver Support ◽  
Dementia Caregiver ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The U.S

Abstract Background and Objectives There are nearly 18 million family caregivers in the U.S. assisting an older adult in need of help. To identify the caregivers in greatest need of support requires an understanding of the current social support networks available to family caregivers and whether specific groups of caregivers are at risk of having an insufficient support network. Research Design and Methods We collected personal network data from a nationally representative sample of 66 family caregivers to persons with dementia (PWD) in the U.S. age 18 and over, including information on network members’ support to the caregiver and help to the care recipient. Results We found four common caregiving network types: large networks with many helpers; large networks primarily supporting caregivers; small, dense networks supporting both caregivers and care recipient; and small networks providing little help to either caregiver or care recipient. Gender, income, and geographic proximity of caregiver to the care recipient were significantly associated with caregiver network type. Discussion and Implications This study suggests that there are different types of care and support networks available to caregivers to PWDs, and that the size and structure of networks vary considerable among demographic groups. As the population ages, a better understanding of the supports available to caregivers will be crucial for ensuring that caregivers are adequately supported, and caregiving needs of families are met.

scholarly journals Family Caregivers and Support: Implications for Work Strain and Formal Service Use

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 811-812
Author(s):  
Joseph Svec ◽  
Jeongeun Lee
Keyword(s):  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Care Recipient ◽  
Stress Process ◽  
Stress Process Model ◽  
Caregiver Support ◽  
Formal Service ◽  
Work Strain ◽  
Employed Caregivers

Abstract In the US, many employed caregivers make professional adjustments, exacerbating already tenuous balances between work and life. Using the framework of the Stress Process Model (SPM), current research examines the sources of support (both formal and informal) and the contextual factors that facilitate or impede caregiver support. In this research, we examine whether and to what extent caregiver work strain is ameliorated by the presence of additional family caregivers and formal service use. This study utilizes data provided by the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) data. Using panel methods for the pooled waves, we analyze the associations between work-strain and the number of additional caregivers with utilization of formal support (such as paid service support). Preliminary analyses align with the Stress Process Model as additional caregivers for each respective care-recipient is associated with lower levels of work strain. On the other hand, utilization of formal services (paid help and Medicaid funding) is positively associated with work strain. These findings suggest that the number of additional caregivers can reduce the negative impact of caregiving on work related strain among employed caregivers. That is, multiple caregivers may be more reflective of cooperative arrangements which offset work disruptions that occur with the onset of caregiving. In addition, formal sources may more frequently be used as a last resort to address caregiver burnout. Ongoing analyses are examining changes in the number of caregivers and its impact on disruptive work event, which could lead to financial outcomes for caregivers.

On Theology in the Academy

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 15-19
Author(s):  
Jason Blum
Keyword(s):  
Public University ◽  
Religious Studies ◽  
Cutting Edge ◽  
The Public ◽  
Recent Developments

Recently, theology has garnered renewed attention in the academy. For various reasons, both theologians and some religious studies scholars have argued that theology deserves to be brought into greater dialogue with other disciplines, and some have even argued that theology ought to be taught in the public university. There are interesting arguments to be made that theology is more similar to other disciplines than might initially be supposed, and even that it is at the cutting edge of certain recent developments in scholarship more broadly. There are also, however, noteworthy barriers to incorporating theology more fully into the academy, and these may present significant challenges to inter-disciplinary dialogue and the possibility of productive exchange between theology and other areas of research.

Theory and Method and the Stakes of a Fragmented Discipline: Or, What Economics Taught Me About the Study of Religion

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Religious Studies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Academic Study

Abstract As a discipline, the academic study of religion is strikingly fragmented, with little engagement or shared criteria of excellence across subfields. Although important recent developments have expanded the traditions and peoples studied as well as the methods used, the current extent of fragmentation limits the impact of this diversification and pluralization. At a moment when the global pandemic is catalyzing profound pressures on our universities and disciplines, this fragmentation makes it difficult to articulate to the public, to non-religious studies colleagues, and to students why the study of religion matters. We therefore too often fall back on platitudes. I argue for a revitalized methods and theories conversation that connects us even as it bears our arguments and disagreements about what we do and how. Courses in methods and theories in the study of religion represent the most viable basis we have for bringing the academic study of religion into the common conversation or argument that constitutes a discipline without sacrificing our pluralism.

scholarly journals Family Physician’s and Primary Care Team’s Perspectives on Supporting Family Caregivers in Primary Care Networks

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3293
Author(s):  
Jasneet Parmar ◽  
Sharon Anderson ◽  
Marjan Abbasi ◽  
Saeed Ahmadinejad ◽  
Karenn Chan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Care Team ◽  
Primary Care Team ◽  
Caregiver Support ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Primary Care Teams ◽  
Support Family

Background. Research, practice, and policy have focused on educating family caregivers to sustain care but failed to equip healthcare providers to effectively support family caregivers. Family physicians are well-positioned to care for family caregivers. Methods. We adopted an interpretive description design to explore family physicians and primary care team members’ perceptions of their current and recommended practices for supporting family caregivers. We conducted focus groups with family physicians and their primary care team members. Results. Ten physicians and 42 team members participated. We identified three major themes. “Family physicians and primary care teams can be a valuable source of support for family caregivers” highlighted these primary care team members’ broad recognition of the need to support family caregiver’s health. “What stands in the way” spoke to the barriers in current practices that precluded supporting family caregivers. Primary care teams recommended, “A structured approach may be a way forward.” Conclusion. A plethora of research and policy documents recommend proactive, consistent support for family caregivers, yet comprehensive caregiver support policy remains elusive. The continuity of care makes primary care an ideal setting to support family caregivers. Now policy-makers must develop consistent protocols to assess, and care for family caregivers in primary care.

scholarly journals Age-dependency in mortality of Finnish family caregivers: a nationwide register-based study

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
T M Mikkola ◽  
H Kautiainen ◽  
M Mänty ◽  
M B von Bonsdorff ◽  
T Kröger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiver ◽  
Causes Of Death ◽  
Lower Mortality ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Caregiver Role ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract Purpose Mortality appears to be lower in family caregivers than in the general population. However, there is lack of knowledge whether the difference in mortality between family caregivers and the general population is dependent on age. The purpose of this study was to analyze all-cause mortality in relation to age in family caregivers and to study their cause-specific mortality using data from multiple Finnish national registers. Methods The data included all individuals, who received family caregiver's allowance in Finland in 2012 (n = 42 256, mean age 67 years, 71% women) and a control population matched for age, sex, and municipality of residence (n = 83 618). Information on dates and causes of death between 2012 and 2017 were obtained from the Finnish Causes of Death Register. Flexible parametric survival modeling and competing risk regression adjusted for socioeconomic status were used. Results The total follow-up time was 717 877 person-years. Family caregivers had lower all-cause mortality than the controls over the follow-up (8.1% vs. 11.6%) both among women (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.61-0.68) and men (HR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.70-0.77). Younger adult caregivers had equal or only slightly lower mortality than their controls, but after age 60, the difference increased markedly resulting in over 10% lower mortality in favor of the caregivers in the oldest age groups. Caregivers had lower mortality for all the causes of death studied, namely cardiovascular, cancer, neurological, external, respiratory, gastrointestinal and dementia than the controls. Of these, the lowest was the risk for dementia (subhazard ratio=0.29, 95%CI: 0.25-0.34). Conclusions Older family caregivers have lower mortality than the age-matched controls from the general population while younger caregivers have similar mortality to their peers. This age-dependent advantage in mortality is likely to reflect selection of healthier individuals into the family caregiver role. Key messages The difference in mortality between family caregivers and the age-matched general population varies considerably with age. Advantage in mortality observed in family caregiver studies is likely to reflect the selection of healthier individuals into the caregiver role, which underestimates the adverse effects of caregiving.

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