scholarly journals TECHNOLOGY-BASED INTERVENTIONS TO IMPROVE CAREGIVER WELL-BEING

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S561-S561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaci Fairchild ◽  
Shirit Kamil-Rosenberg ◽  
Heather Taylor ◽  
Peter Louras ◽  
Blake Scanlon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skills Training ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Care Recipient ◽  
Psychological Benefits ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Attrition Rates ◽  
Unpaid Care ◽  
Caregiver Health ◽  
Coach Program

Abstract Informal or unpaid care is the most common form of long-term care. Despite clear benefits for the care recipient, caregiving can have unintended physical and emotional consequences for caregivers. Traditional caregiver interventions are limited in scope, as they often focus on the emotional consequences of caregiving; however, the physiological effects of caregiving are equally deleterious to caregiver health. Exercise improves physical health, yet the demands of caregiving can limit participation in physical activity. Traditional gym-based interventions may not be feasible for many caregivers. Advances in technology present an opportunity to address these limitations, specifically in the areas of accessibility and acceptability. The Combined Online Assistance for Caregiver Health (COACH) program combines evidence-based skills training with physical exercise in a tablet-based intervention. Preliminary evidence for the physical and psychological benefits are promising; however, differential attrition rates are informative as to the acceptability of technology-based interventions among some caregivers.

scholarly journals Person-Centred Care Transformation in a Nursing Home for Residents with Dementia

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Peiyan Ho ◽  
Rachel Chin Yee Cheong ◽  
Siew Pei Ong ◽  
Carol Fusek ◽  
Shiou Liang Wee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Home ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Care Recipient ◽  
Staff Retention ◽  
Term Care

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Conventional nursing homes in Singapore adopt an institutional and medical model of care with a focus on safety and risk management. As such, less regard is placed on upholding the dignity and autonomy of the resident, which compromises quality of care and the well-being of the resident. Today, person-centred care (PCC) has become synonymous with high-quality care that sustains the well-being and personhood of the care recipient. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> To describe the model of PCC adopted by a nursing home, Apex Harmony Lodge (AHL), with a logic model and evaluate outcomes on residents’ well-being, care quality, and staff attrition by comparing pre-PCC initiation (2015) to post-implementation (2016). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Male residents in a 30-bed assisted living facility for persons with dementia in AHL were assessed using Dementia Care Mapping. Residents’ well-being and staff attrition were measured before and after PCC implementation. <b><i>Results:</i></b> There were statistically significant improvements in resident well-being (Δ = 0.44, <i>p</i> = 0.029), Positive Engagement Potential (Δ = 0.17, <i>p</i> = 0.002), and Occupational Diversity (Δ = 0.12, <i>p</i> = 0.014) in 2016. Withdrawal and Passive Engagement in the residents were reduced significantly as were Care Detractors. There was also a 55% reduction in staff attrition rates post-PCC. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Post-PCC implementation, the outcomes indicate a superior quality of care, enhanced resident well-being, and better staff retention. The AHL PCC model could serve as a roadmap for other nursing homes aspiring to raise the quality of care and influence long-term care standards and regulations for policy makers and legislators.

Supporting Healthy Relationships in Low-Income Couples: Lessons Learned and Policy Implications

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin R. Karney ◽  
Thomas N. Bradbury ◽  
Justin A. Lavner
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
New Policies ◽  
Antipoverty Programs

For the past two decades, policymakers have invested heavily in promoting the quality and stability of intimate relationships in low-income communities. To date, these efforts have emphasized relationship-skills education, but large-scale evaluations of these programs indicate that they have produced negligible benefits. Current policies are limited by their unfounded assumption that low-income couples have needs similar to more affluent couples. In contrast, recent research finds that financially disadvantaged environments confront low-income couples with unique challenges in maintaining intimacy. Rather than skills training, these couples need policies that address the real circumstances that affect their day-to-day well-being. Preliminary evidence from military families and antipoverty programs suggests that providing couples with financial security may have indirect positive effects on their relationships. New policies that promote financial well-being may be more effective at supporting low-income couples than interventions targeting relationships directly.

scholarly journals Caregiving Across the Life Course: Life History Findings from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS)

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 797-797
Author(s):  
Marina Larkina ◽  
Jacqui Smith
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Mail Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Recipient ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Unpaid Care ◽  
The People ◽  
Multiple Caregiving ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Age Range

Abstract Informal caregiving, defined as unpaid care provided to a relative or friend with some sort of special need, is a topic of research across different disciplines. Previous research highlights the prevalence and heterogeneity of caregivers in terms of their age, gender, relationship with the care recipient, and the duration of care provision. However, most research focuses on a specific episode of caregiving. Little is known about the people who provide care to multiple recipients throughout their own life. To fill this gap, we examined data from the HRS Spring 2017 Life History Mail Survey (N = 3520; age range 50-101 yrs). Participants reported their relationship with people to whom they had provided unpaid care for ≥ 6 months (max 5) and listed the start and end years of care. Compared with people who had not provided care, caregivers (N = 1000, 28%) were more likely to be women, white, and currently widowed. They cared for their parents (67%), spouses (22%), children (11%), or other relatives (16%) and 30% reported providing care two or more times (M = 1.44, SD = 0.81). Respondents, who reported multiple episodes of caregiving were more likely to be women, widowed, aged between 25 and 50 at the time of first providing care. People who first cared for their spouse were less likely to report multiple caregiving episodes comparing with those who cared for parents or children. Future research will examine the health and well-being consequences associated with caregivers’ histories of providing unpaid care to others.

scholarly journals The impact of social care services on carers’ quality of life

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacey Rand ◽  
Florin Vadean ◽  
Julien Forder
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Recipient ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Care Services ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

Unpaid care is an important part of long-term care systems. It is increasingly recognised that carers have their own health and well-being needs. Carer-specific interventions, as well as support for the care-recipient, may enable carers to maintain their own health and well-being alongside caring. This study seeks to establish whether and how community-based care services affect carers’ quality of life. The Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit for Carers was used to capture carers’ social care-related quality of life through qualitative interviews and a survey of carers in England in order to provide insights into the impact of community-based care services on carers’ quality of life outcomes.

scholarly journals Portrait of a Caregiver: Ethnodrama Development and Its Influence on Caregiver Well-Being

2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 1169-1178
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Eaton ◽  
Nancy Madsen-Wilkerson
Keyword(s):  
Meaning Making ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Caregiver Support ◽  
Professional Performance ◽  
Reflection Data ◽  
Caregiver Health ◽  
Member Checks

Abstract Background and Objectives The majority of long-term care needs are placed upon family members who often receive minimal support. In this study, we collaborate with family caregivers to create an ethnodrama about their experience and assess outcomes of participation, including caregiver well-being. Methods Participants met over 4 months to discuss their roles as informal caregivers. Discussions were analyzed in a two-phase process and themes were developed into a script. Member checks included script review and revisions, culminating in viewing a professional performance of the play followed by a post-performance discussion and reflection. Data were gathered at six timepoints to assess caregiver well-being and longitudinal analysis was used to assess change during the course of the intervention. Results Twenty-two caregivers completed intervention activities. Participant reactions to the process evolved overtime, from an initial hesitance about what individuals had to offer leading to an acknowledgement of feeling heard and a desire to help others. Caregivers had high levels of burden and positive perceptions towards caregiving. Those with high levels of self-rated health had the lowest levels of burden and the most positive perceptions of caregiving. Discussion and Implications Developing an ethnodrama in partnership with caregivers is a unique and feasible method of caregiver support, mentoring, reflexivity, and meaning making. Promoting caregiver health early in the caregiving trajectory has the potential of reducing burden and elevating positivity towards caregiving.

Reasons why family members become carers and the outcome for the person with dementia: results from the CARD study

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 1442-1450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Camden ◽  
Gill Livingston ◽  
Claudia Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Care Home ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Care Recipient ◽  
Family Carers ◽  
Abusive Behavior ◽  
Scale Scores ◽  
Person With Dementia ◽  
Conflict Tactics

ABSTRACTBackground: Using a representative secondary care survey for the first time, we explored family carers’ reasons for providing care. We hypothesized that carers with a positive rather than negative motivation for caring would be less abusive towards the care recipient and more likely to be caring for someone still living at home a year later.Methods: We interviewed 220 consecutively referred dementia family/friend carers from UK Community Mental Health Teams. We asked non-spousal carers why they were the main carer. Our main outcomes were the revised Modified Conflict Tactics Scale scores, measuring abusive behavior by the carer, and admission of the person with dementia to a care home.Results: Nineteen (17.1%) said they were the main carer due to the high quality of their relationship with the care recipient, their willingness to take on or their suitability for the carer role. A further 22 (19.8%) said they were the main carer due to other potential carers’ negative relationship with the care recipient, unwillingness or lack of suitability for the role. Carers who gave the latter explanation tended to be more anxious at baseline (F = 3.0, p = 0.055), reported higher abusive behavior towards the care recipient a year later after controlling for sociodemographic variables (t = 2.0, p = 0.05), and their care recipient was more likely to be admitted to a care home in the following year (hazards ratio 9.9, p = 0.040).Conclusions: We found preliminary evidence that carers’ reasons for providing care predict the well-being of the care recipient. Future studies involving dementia family carers should consider asking why the main carer assumed this role.

A positive psychology study and intervention on the well-being of French PhD students in biology

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Marais ◽  
Rebecca Shankland ◽  
Pascale Haag ◽  
Robin Fiault ◽  
Bridget Juniper
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Large Fraction ◽  
Reference Sample ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Attrition Rates ◽  
Human Costs ◽  
The Uk ◽  
And Control ◽  
Health And Well Being

In France, little data are available on mental health and well-being in academia, and nothing has been published about PhD students. From studies abroad, we know that doing a PhD is a difficult experience resulting in high attrition rates with significant financial and human costs. Here we focused on PhD students in biology at university Lyon 1. A first study aimed at measuring the mental health and well-being of PhD students using several generalist and PhD-specific tools. Our results on 136 participants showed that a large fraction of the PhD students experience abnormal levels of stress, depression and anxiety, and their mean well-being score is significantly lower than that of a British reference sample. French PhD student well-being is specifically affected by career uncertainty, perceived lack of progress in the PhD and perceived lack of competence, which points towards possible cultural differences of experiencing a PhD in France and the UK. In a second study, we carried out a positive psychology intervention. Comparing the scores of the test and control groups showed a clear effect of the intervention on reducing anxiety. We discuss our results and the possible future steps to improve French PhD students’ well-being.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document