scholarly journals Caregiving Through Turbulent Times: Findings From the MIT AgeLab’s Longitudinal Study of Family Caregivers

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 185-185
Author(s):  
Julie Miller ◽  
Julie Miller

Abstract Nearly one in five Americans is an unpaid family caregiver, and the need for family caregivers is projected to grow over the next several decades in the face of longer lifespans (AARP 2020). Yet the increasing centrality of family caregivers for providing care to an aging population highlights two knowledge gaps: first, the degree and experience of burden and stress caregivers manage around balancing care with other family and work responsibilities; and second, a lack of knowledge about the caregiver journey and the microtasks of care, including how caregivers leverage – or not – different tools, technologies and resources to support the care they provide. To develop a deeper understanding of these questions and others, the MIT AgeLab has built a research panel of over 1200 caregivers providing care to another adult family member. This symposium will present findings from the MIT AgeLab Caregiver Panel, including: 1) an examination of the extent to which family caregivers identify as such and how they feel about their roles; 2) how family caregivers experienced the COVID-19 pandemic both personally and around the care they provide; 3) caregivers’ use of and attitudes toward technology to support the care they provide; and 4) what caregivers identify as their key unmet needs. The session will include a facilitated discussion around the intersection of COVID-19 with caregivers’ technology use, experience of caregiving, and future needs, as well as to identify additional research questions and directions for future research with the MIT AgeLab Caregiver Panel.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Babayosimi Fadiran ◽  
Jessica Lee ◽  
Jared Lemminger ◽  
Anna Jolliff

UNSTRUCTURED The coronavirus pandemic may have changed the way American adolescents perceive and interact with technology. This commentary recounts the diverse perspectives of three youth, all of whom observed an interplay between their technology use and mental health as a result of COVID-19. In the present article, we hear from Jared, who compares the mental health impact of in-person schooling versus remote instruction. We hear from Jessica, who has refined a technology-based strategy for emotionally supporting her friend at a distance. And we hear from Babayosimi, who used technology to challenge himself and support creative interaction during quarantine. These lived experiences have scientific value insofar as they can inform future research questions, and practical value in that they represent key learnings on pro-wellness technology use from the most technologically savvy generation.


2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 993-1015 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Colin Reid ◽  
Neena L. Chappell

The provision of person-centered care for nursing home residents with dementia suggests the need for family caregiver involvement. In this article, we argue that optimal family involvement differs by family caregiver and therefore depends on the degree to which family caregivers consider their own involvement to be important. In this Canadian study, we compare the importance that 135 family caregivers of residents with dementia place on 20 kinds of involvement with the degree to which they perceive opportunities for involvement. Family Involvement Congruence Scores are calculated in three ways: those for whom involvement is important, those for whom involvement is not important, and an overall congruence score. Congruence scores varied by involvement type. These scores show promise for use in future research on family caregiver involvement and as tools for use by facilities as they endeavor to meet family caregiver expectations for involvement.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S199-S199
Author(s):  
George Demiris

Abstract Family caregivers of hospice patients play an essential role in the delivery of care but have multiple needs during this often stressful time. Cost-effective interventions supporting caregivers are greatly needed. We conducted a four-year randomized clinical trial of a problem solving therapy intervention called PISCES to support hospice caregivers. We recruited 514 caregivers (75% female, mean age 60.3 years) who were randomly assigned to either a control group (usual care) or a face to face group (where the intervention was delivered in three in-person sessions) or a telehealth group (where the intervention was delivered using technology). While the intervention was effective in reducing caregiver anxiety and improving overall quality of life, the intervention was found more effective in the face-to-face group than the telehealth group. We discuss challenges with the technology use and recommendations for the design of future telehealth systems targeting older adults in the hospice setting.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 353-353
Author(s):  
Kyra Mendez ◽  
Hae-Ra Han

Abstract Recruiting racially and ethnically diverse dementia family caregivers (FCGs) for research can be challenging. The purposes of this presentation are to describe methods of successfully recruiting racially and ethnically diverse dementia FCGs for survey research and to share lessons learned. This study aimed to recruit dementia FCGs who have a chronic health condition and access to a mobile device. FCGs were primarily recruited from the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan area to complete an online or phone survey about their technology use. A variety of recruitment methods were used including: posting ads in a local newspaper targeting older adults, partnering with a local Alzheimer’s research center and memory treatment center, attending community events, using online research registries, and posting online advertisements. The most successful method of recruiting minorities was by attending community events for caregivers and talking directly with community members about the research study. Online recruitment methods were less successful, but yielded the greatest diversity of participants, including Asian, Native American, mixed race, and African American FCGs. Some challenges associated with recruiting minority FCGs were working with primarily immigrant communities; recruiting FCGs who do not speak English; and building trust among communities that have been negatively impacted by research. Suggestions for future research include using recruitment strategies that enable researchers to build rapport with FCGs, engaging community stakeholders to understand your source population, and using a variety of recruitment methods. Also, online recruiting through credible sources appears to be a somewhat feasible method of recruiting diverse FCGs for survey research.


Author(s):  
Guang Ying Mo ◽  
Renée K. Biss ◽  
Laurie Poole ◽  
Bianca Stern ◽  
Karen Waite ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT This study explored family caregivers’ use of technology to care for people with dementia living at home. Three questions were pursued: (1) what are the important, unmet needs of family caregivers, (2) how do they use technologies to assist in care tasks, and (3) what do health care providers know about caregivers’ needs and technology use? Two comprehensive surveys were developed to answer these questions: one for family caregivers (n = 33), and one for health care providers (n = 60). Descriptive and quantitative analyses showed that caregivers’ important, unmet needs were in the domains of information, formal services, and emotional support. Caregivers make limited use of technology but believe in its potential usefulness. Health care providers agree that technology is useful in dementia care; however, they underestimate caregivers’ willingness to adopt technologies to communicate with providers. Findings prove caregiver willingness to use technology to support their care role and provide guidance regarding the caregiver needs that these technologies should address.


2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 436-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther Piervil ◽  
Folakemi Odedina ◽  
Mary Ellen Young

Background. Black men endure a disproportionate burden of morbidity and mortality related to prostate cancer (CaP). Increasingly family members are assuming the role of providing care and support to family members with chronic disease. Understanding the role and influence of the caregiver is a necessary part of developing resources to assist individuals learning to provide care. Aim. The analysis aimed to explore CaP survivors’ perceptions of the role and influence of family caregivers to better understand existing opportunities for improving experiences and outcomes for both the caregiver and the care receiver. Design. Secondary analysis of qualitative interview transcripts. Data were analyzed to explore new inquiries related to CaP survivors’ perceptions of family caregivers’ role and influence at each stage of care. Content analysis was used to group data into established categories. Data Source. Data included qualitative interview transcripts with 32 CaP survivors from the Florida Prostate Cancer Care and Survivorship Project. Results. The role of the family caregiver is complex. Caregivers in this community seem to have a significant influence on behavior modification and cues to action for Black men with prostate cancer. According to the men in this group, caregivers functioned as normalizing agents, coordinating care and creating a new normal, throughout the various stages of care and survivorship. Conclusions. Findings inform areas for future research to develop culturally tailored health promotion programs designed to improve outcomes and address the needs of both the family caregiver and the care receiver across the care continuum.


10.28945/4201 ◽  
2019 ◽  

[This Proceedings paper was revised and published in the 2019 issue of the journal Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology, Volume 16] Aim/Purpose: Teachers are being asked to integrate mobile technologies into their content creation and distribution tasks. This research aims to provide an understanding of teachers taking on this process and whether the use of technology has influenced their content creation and distribution in the classroom. Background: Many claim that the use of technology for content creation and distribution can only enhance and improve the educational experience. However, for teachers it is not simply the integration of technology that is of prime concern. As teachers are ultimately responsible for the success of technology integration, it is essential to understand teachers’ viewpoints and lived technology experiences. Methodology: The Task-Technology Fit (TTF) model was used to guide interpretive case study research. Six teachers were purposively sampled and interviewed from a private school where a digital strategy is already in place. Data was then analysed using directed content analysis in relation to TTF. Contribution: This paper provides an understanding of teachers’ mobile technology choices in relation to content creation and distribution tasks. Findings: Findings indicate that teachers fit technology into their tasks if they perceive the technology has a high level of benefit to the teaching task. In addition, the age of learners and the subject being taught are major influencers. Recommendations for Practitioners: Provides a more nuanced and in-depth understanding of teachers’ technology choices, which is necessary for the technology augmented educational experience of the future. Recommendations for Researchers: Provides an unbiased and theoretically guided view of mobile technology use with content creation and distribution tasks. Impact on Society: Teachers do not appear to use technology as a de facto standard, but specifically select technology which will save them time, reduce costs, and improve the educational experiences of their learners. Future Research: A mixed-method approach, including several diverse schools as well as learners would enrich the findings. Furthermore, consideration of hardware limitations and lack of software features are needed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 117-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krista Fiolleau ◽  
Theresa Libby ◽  
Linda Thorne

SUMMARY As the scope of the audit continues to broaden (Cohen, Krishnamoorthy, and Wright 2017), research questions in management control and internal control are beginning to overlap. Even so, there is little overlap between these fields in terms of published research to date. The purpose of this paper is to take a step in bridging the gap between the management control and the internal control literatures. We survey relevant findings from the extant management control literature published between 2003 and 2016 on dysfunctional behavior and the ways in which it might be mitigated. We then use the fraud triangle as an organizing framework to consider how the management control literature might help to address audit risk factors identified in SAS 99/AU SEC 316 (AICPA 2002). The outcome of our analysis is meant to identify and classify the extant management control literature of relevance to research on internal control in a manner that researchers new to the management control literature will find accessible. We conclude with a set of future research opportunities that can help to broaden the scope of current research in internal control.


2021 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2020-002741
Author(s):  
Paola Brunori ◽  
Maria Grazia Celani ◽  
Angelo Alberto Bignamini ◽  
Marzia Carlini ◽  
Rossella Papetti ◽  
...  

ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to collect the perspectives and values of people affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and their carers to offer clinicians, researchers and policymakers aspects which are precious in prioritising future research questions and reshaping care service organisations in a participatory approach.Design and settingCohort study using ALS Umbria, the electronic database in Italy.ParticipantsEleven patients and 33 carers who agreed to participate in the study were divided into six focus groups by ‘status’ (patient or carer) and by four severity levels of ‘burden of disease’.MethodsA semiquantitative analysis was undertaken. Each recorded group discussion was transcribed into text file and independently read by two psychologists and two ALS specialists to blindly identify needs, emotions and medical issues, which are the key semantic meanings expressed. Any disagreement in interpretation was resolved through consultation among authors.ResultsCarers pronounced significantly more words related to patient’s disease burden they cared. 40% of subjects expressed the need for ‘assistance’, regardless of the disease burden. ‘Anger’ alone represented more than 1/4 of all expressed emotions and was more common in patients than in carers (73% vs 36%, p=0.077). The most frequent medical issue expressed by 1/3 of participants was ‘difficulty in communication’.ConclusionThis study has given voice to the expectations of those affected by the burden of ALS. ‘Welfare assistance’, ‘anger management’ and resolution of ‘difficulties in communication’ represent issues that need to be analysed in a common prioritised research agenda with sensible and shared outcome measures to implement patient-centred medicine.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document