The Family Caregiver Communication Typology

Author(s):  
Elaine Wittenberg ◽  
Joy V. Goldsmith ◽  
Sandra L. Ragan ◽  
Terri Ann Parnell

Chronic illness in the family can force patterns to change or a create a struggle to maintain existing patterns. When healthcare providers seek to learn what exists before illness for the patient and family caregiver, they are endowed with the knowledge to provide tailored communication to better meet their health literacy needs. This chapter details how the family system influences a caregiver’s communication and caregiving experience, demonstrating the need for an integrated and tailored approach to care for the family caregiver. Family expectations, decisions, roles, and uncertainty figure prominently in setting the stage for the caregiver communication burden incurred in the process of caregiving. The authors present the program and process of research that resulted in the creation of the family caregiver communication typology and detail four family caregiver communication types, which aid in understanding a caregiver’s communication needs and preferences.

Author(s):  
Maryjo Prince-Paul

Caring for the Family Caregiver is published by Oxford University Press and introduces the novel framework of the Family Caregiver Communication Typology. The volume offers a close analysis of caregiver health literacy and patient outcomes and invites readers to consider the family system as the driver in shaping how family caregivers deal with chronic illness demands. The expertise of all authors (three health communication scholars and one nurse who is a health literacy expert) in the analysis illuminates the delicate balance between caregivers’ ability to understand and communicate in the context of social determinants of health. The book shares the interwoven challenges of palliative care, family caregiving, and health literacy. Caring for the Family Caregiver establishes the urgent call to address family caregiver information and communication needs and leaves the reader empowered to make changes in their own clinical practice communication and/or develop family caregiving research that addresses cultural and social factors.


Author(s):  
Elaine Wittenberg ◽  
Joy V. Goldsmith ◽  
Sandra L. Ragan ◽  
Terri Ann Parnell

There is little evidence for caregiver assessment and interventions based on unique social and contextual factors of caregiving. Current approaches to caring for the family caregiver involve a “one size fits all” approach where caregiver assessment may or may not occur, and there is no link between identification of caregiver needs and recommended resources. When caregiver assessment does occur, it does not involve unique caregiving characteristics that positively impact communication and health literacy. Caring for the Family Caregiver, a communication and health literacy framework, is introduced and consists of teaching healthcare providers to address caregiving types by finding disease information, assessing and integrating information, partnering with the caregiver, finding support, talking with the caregiver, and planning for caregiver self-care. Directions for future research are also summarized.


Author(s):  
Elaine Wittenberg ◽  
Joy Goldsmith ◽  
Sandra L. Ragan ◽  
Terri Ann Parnell

This remarkable work reveals the plight of the family caregiver in chronic illness through the prism of communication. Examining the high cost and poorly addressed exigencies of the caregiver, including health literacy, palliative care, and health outcomes, Elaine Wittenberg, Joy V. Goldsmith, Sandra L. Ragan, and Terri Ann Parnell use an interdisciplinary approach in an effort to identify the impact of communication and its burdens on the caregiver. This team of scholars present four caregiver profiles, the Manager, Carrier, Partner, and Lone caregiver, each emerging from a family system with different patterns of conversational sharing and expectations of conformity. This volume presents a picture of the costs and losses for caregivers that go unseen and remain invisible for stakeholders in the healthcare experience. By synthesizing current data assessing the experiences of caregivers, as well as integrating the narrative experiences of a range of caregivers living through a variety of illnesses and their specific demands, the writers deliver an unflinching gaze at the journey of the caregiver. With an author team comprised of three health communication researchers and a nurse and health literacy expert, this volume integrates literature addressing caregiver needs and burdens, communication theory and practice, and palliative care and health literacy research to present the groundbreaking concept of the caregiver types and an innovative set of support resources to facilitate improved pathways to better care for the caregiver. Their engaging and rigorous writing style integrates the real stories of caregivers across the scope of the book connecting the reader with the people inside the pages and making the book essential for providers, students, clinicians, policymakers, and family caregivers alike.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 580-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neide P. Areia ◽  
José N. Góngora ◽  
Sofia Major ◽  
Vivianne D. Oliveira ◽  
Ana P. Relvas

AbstractObjectiveThe terminal phase of cancer represents a major crisis for the family system. Regardless of the caregiving role they undertake, family members are forced to address multiple impacts when facing the approaching death of their terminally ill loved one. International guidelines recognize the importance of integrating the family into a care plan. However, more needs to be known about how to deliver optimal family support. The purpose of this study is to review the current state of the art in family/caregiver-focused interventions of people with terminal cancer in palliative care.MethodFor this purpose, an overview of the literature's systematic reviews on the topic was conducted to select Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) on family/caregiver-focused interventions.ResultsNine interventions were found in the systematic reviews of literature and meta-analysis. These family/caregiver-focused interventions were then thoroughly and critically analyzed. Despite the heterogeneity with regard to their characteristics, the interventions commonly focused on caregiving matters, were brief in duration, and delivered by non-mental health experts. The efficacy of such interventions was seen as modest.Significance of resultsFamily/caregiver-focused interventions in palliative care remain a matter of concern and more research is needed to identify adequate and effective ways of helping families that face the crisis of terminal illness in the system.


2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine Wittenberg ◽  
Kate Kravits ◽  
Joy Goldsmith ◽  
Betty Ferrell ◽  
Rebecca Fujinami

AbstractObjective:Caring for the family is included as one of the eight domains of quality palliative care, calling attention to the importance of the family system and family communications about cancer during care and treatment of the disease. Previously, a model of family caregiver communication defined four caregiver communication types—Manager, Carrier, Partner, Lone—each with a unique communication pattern. The purpose of the present study was to extend the model of family caregiver communication in cancer care to further understand the impact of family communication burden on caregiving outcomes.Method:This mixed-method study employed fieldnotes from a family caregiver intervention focused on quality of life and self-reported caregiver communication items to identify a specific family caregiver type. Caregiver types were then analyzed using outcome measures on psychological distress, skills preparedness, family inventory of needs, and quality-of-life domains.Results:Corroboration between fieldnotes and self-reported communication for caregivers (n = 21, 16 women, mean age of 53 years) revealed a definitive classification of the four caregiver types (Manager = 6, Carrier = 5, Partner = 6, Lone = 4). Mean scores on self-reported communication items documented different communication patterns congruent with the theoretical framework of the model. Variation in caregiver outcomes measures confirmed the model of family caregiver communication types. Partner and Lone caregivers reported the lowest psychological distress, with Carrier caregivers feeling least prepared and Manager caregivers reporting the lowest physical quality of life.Significance of results:This study illustrates the impact of family communication on caregiving and increases our knowledge and understanding about the role of communication in caregiver burden. The research provides the first evidence-based validation for a family caregiver communication typology and its relationship to caregiver outcomes. Future research is needed to develop and test interventions that target specific caregiver types.


1991 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 522-523
Author(s):  
Michael J. Goldstein
Keyword(s):  

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-56
Author(s):  
RIANI PRADARA JATI ◽  
Sekar Farah Nabila

  Penempatan peran yang baik bagi Family Caregiver sangatlah membantu lansia dalam meningkatkah qualitas hidupnya, meningkatkan motivasi dalam menjalankan hidup Penelitian ini bertujuan Mengetahui hubungan peran Family Caregiver dalam pemenuhan qualitas hidup bagi lansia di Kelurahan Langenharjo Kabupaten Kendal. DesainPenelitianDeskriptifKorelasional menggunakan pendekatan Krosectional,tehnikSamplingStratified Simple Random Sampling dengan karakteristik heterogen, dari populasi mempunyai hak yang sama untuk diseleksi sebagai sampel teknik undianPengambilan data dengan menggunakan kuesioner yang telah diuji validitas dan reliabilitasnya. Uji statistik Chi-square, dengan taraf signifikasi 5%jumlah sampel pada penelitian ini 70 sampel pada Family Caregiver dari 213 populasi yang ada. Hasil penelitian dari 70 responden didapatkan Peran Family Caregiver tidak baik dengan qualitas hidup tidak baik 33 (47,1%), sedangkan Peran Family Caregiver kurang baik dengan qualitas hidup lansia baik 3 (4,3%). Untuk distribusi Peran Family Caregiver kurang baik dengan qualitas hidup lansia tidak baik sebanyak 6 responden (8,6%) sedangkan untuk distribusi Peran Family Caregiver kurang baik dengan qualitas hidup lansia baik sebanyak 23 responden (32,9%). Terakhir, untuk distribusi Peran Family Caregiver baik dengan qualitas hidup lansia tidak baik didapatkan hasil 2 responden (2, 9%) sedangkan untuk distribusi Peran Family Caregiver baik dengan qualitas hidup lansia baik didapatkan hasil 3 responden (4,3%)Menunjukkan nilai ρ value 0,001 (ρ < 0,05) berarti ada hubungan antara dukungan keluarga dengan kepatuhan lansia dalam keikutsertaan posyandu lansia. Disarankan kepada semua Family Cregiver lansia untuk mampu memahami pentingnya perhatian, dukungan bagi lansia dalammeningkatkan qualitas hidup yang lebih baik bagi lansia.   Kata kunci : Peran family caregiver, qualitas hidup, lansia.   ABSTRACT Placement of a good role for Family Caregiver is very helpful for the elderly to improve their quality of life, increase motivation in living life Research Objective: To know the relationship between the role of Family Caregiver in fulfilling quality of life for the elderly in Langenharjo Village, Kendal Regency. Descriptive Correlational Research Design uses a cross sectional approach, Sampling Stratified Simple Random Sampling technique with heterogeneous characteristics, from the population has the same right to be selected as a sample lottery technique Retrieving data using a questionnaire that has been tested for validity and reliability. Test Chi-square statistics, with a significance level of 5% the number of samples in this study 70 samples on the Family Caregiver from 213 populations. Results of the Study Of 70 respondents found the role of Family Caregiver was not good with poor quality of life 33 (47.1%) , while the role of the Family Caregiver is not good with the quality of life of a good elderly 3 (4.3%). For the distribution of the role of Family Caregiver is not good with the quality of life of the poor family as many as 6 respondents (8.6%) while for the distribution of the Role of Family Caregiver is not good with the quality of life of good elderly as many as 23 respondents (32.9%). Finally, the distribution of the Role of Family Caregiver with good quality of life for the poor is obtained by 2 respondents (2, 9%), while the distribution of the Role of Family Caregiver with good quality of life for the elderly is obtained by 3 respondents (4.3%). 0.001 (ρ <0.05) means that there is a relationship between family support and the compliance of the elderly in the participation of the elderly posyandu. It is recommended to all elderly Cregiver families to be able to understand the importance of attention, support for the elderly in improving the quality of life better for the elderly   Keywords: Role of Family Caregiver, Quality of Life, Elderly


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