Occupational Therapists’ Interactions With Older Adult Caregivers: Negotiating Priorities and Expertise

Although numerous studies have examined provider–caregiver interactions and their influence on care outcomes, few represent the perspective of the provider or specifically consider occupational therapy practitioners. The aim of this article is to explore the perspectives of occupational therapists regarding interactions with older adult caregivers in geriatric practice settings. The study was conducted using a constructivist grounded theory approach based on data obtained from repeated focus group sessions and subsequent individual reflections. Occupational therapy practitioners interact with older adult caregivers in ways that reflect negotiations about who holds expertise and whose priorities are most relevant in care situations. These interactions are influenced by health care contexts that foreground the needs of the care recipient. A deeper understanding of caregiving as an occupation via a transactional perspective may serve to illuminate complex care situations and optimize therapist–caregiver interactions.

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Dementia anxiety among older adult caregivers: an exploratory study of older adult caregivers in Canada

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610211000299 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 23 (6) ◽

pp. 880-886 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Nicole M. Alberts ◽

Heather D. Hadjistavropoulos ◽

Nicole E. Pugh ◽

Shannon L. Jones

Keyword(s):

Older Adult ◽

Caregiver Burden ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Self Report ◽

Care Recipient ◽

Future Research ◽

Care Providers ◽

Adult Caregivers ◽

Older Adult Caregivers

ABSTRACTBackground: Although caring for individuals with dementia is known to result in increased burden and depression among caregivers, little research has investigated caregiver's anxiety or concern about eventually developing dementia themselves (i.e. dementia anxiety). Existing research reports mixed findings regarding variables (e.g. relationship to care recipient, sex, education) that predict dementia anxiety among caregivers and non-caregivers. Potential relationships among burden, depression and dementia anxiety have not been extensively examined. The present study explored caregiver and care recipient factors as predictors of dementia anxiety in older adult caregivers.Methods: A sample of 116 older adult caregivers answered demographic/background questions and completed a series of self-report measures assessing dementia anxiety, caregiver burden, depression, and the physical disability of the care recipient.Results: The majority of caregivers were female, Caucasian, and reported caring for a spouse. Analyses revealed that background variables were generally not related to dementia anxiety, while depression and caregiver burden were significantly associated. Using linear regression analysis, it was found that a diagnosis of dementia in the care recipient and caregiver depression were both significant predictors of caregiver dementia anxiety.Conclusion: Health care providers should be aware that dementia anxiety is associated with caring for individuals with dementia as well as with depression. Dementia anxiety may place additional strain on caregivers of individuals who have dementia and are suffering from depression and thus should be the focus of future research.

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The Relationship between Burden and Financial Factors for Help-Seeking Older Adult Caregivers

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.2968 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 813-814

Author(s):

Geffen Ferszt ◽

Stacy Yun ◽

Kendall Weber ◽

Sara Qualls

Keyword(s):

Older Adult ◽

Caregiver Burden ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Financial Burden ◽

Care Recipient ◽

Total Variance ◽

Younger Age ◽

Adult Caregivers ◽

Older Adult Caregivers ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Older adult caregivers often experience unique financial challenges (Schultz & Eden, 2016). The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between caregiver finances and caregiver burden for this sample. A sample of 131 caregivers seeking counseling services completed questionnaires assessing demographics, care recipient functioning (ADLs/IADLs), and finances (yearly income, impact of caregiving on finances). A majority, 74.8% of caregivers, indicated financial burden since caregiving. A hierarchical multiple regression was computed to predict caregiver burden. The caregiving characteristics block explained 8.1% of the total variance in caregiver burden, F(7, 123) = 1.54, n.s. Specifically, being younger was significantly associated with more caregiver burden. Adding the care recipient functioning block explained an additional 6.9% of the variance in caregiver burden, Fchange(2, 121) = 4.93, p < .01. The caregiving characteristics and care recipient functioning model accounted for 15% of the total variance in caregiver burden, F(9, 121) = 1.55, p < .05. Again, younger age uniquely predicted greater caregiver burden. Lastly, caregiving finance factors contributed an additional 13.5% of the variance, Fchange(4, 117) = 5.54, p < .001. Thus, the final caregiver characteristics, care recipient functioning, and caregiving finances model accounted for 28.5% of the total variance in caregiving burden, F(13, 117) = 3.59, p < .001. Specifically, having less income and greater monthly expenses related to caregiving predicted higher levels of caregiver burden. These findings imply that those with fewer resources may benefit from intervention for the heavier burden they perceive compared to peers with more financial resources.

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Care Provided by Older Adult Caregivers to a Spouse in Active Cancer Treatment: A Scoping Review

Journal of Geriatric Oncology ◽

10.1016/s1879-4068(21)00390-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (8) ◽

pp. S33

Author(s):

V. Donison ◽

N. Toledano ◽

K. McGilton ◽

S.M.H. Alibhai ◽

M. Puts

Keyword(s):

Cancer Treatment ◽

Older Adult ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Adult Caregivers ◽

Older Adult Caregivers ◽

Active Cancer

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Older Adult Caregivers’ Experiences in an Online, Interactive Mindfulness Intervention

Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine ◽

10.1177/2515690x20960659 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 ◽

pp. 2515690X2096065

Author(s):

Janella Hudson ◽

Rachel Ungar ◽

Laurie Albright ◽

Rifky Tkatch ◽

James Schaeffer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Older Adult ◽

Stress Reduction ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Qualitative Content Analysis ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Mindfulness Intervention ◽

Adult Caregivers ◽

Older Adult Caregivers

Background. While today’s older adults experience longevity, they often manage several chronic conditions and increasingly serve as informal caregivers for aging parents, children with life-long disabilities, and spouses. Older adult caregivers managing personal chronic illness often experience significant psychosocial hardships. Objective. The primary purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of older adult caregivers in an online, interactive mindfulness intervention. Methods. Self-reported older caregivers who participated in an online-based mindfulness program (n = 20) were recruited for semi-structured interviews. Participants were asked to provide feedback about any previous experience with mindfulness and/or meditation, hopes or goals held prior to the start of the program, desired expectations, motivation for joining, impressions of sessions, most beneficial topics, potential application of content, and any perceived effects. Participants’ responses were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results. Five themes emerged from the analysis: Managing the Comprehensive Effects of Caregiving, Openness to Meditation and Mindfulness, Course Engagement and Incremental Growth, Building Rapport through Shared Experiences, and Ongoing Application and Opportunities for Refinement. Participants reported both short-term post-exercise benefits such as increased calm, relaxation, and stress relief, as well as long-term positive outcomes. Notably, participants found the program’s unique interactive feature to be particularly beneficial as a form of perceived social support. Conclusions. Caregivers for older adults may derive benefit and potentially experience reduced subjective caregiver burden as a result of participating in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, particularly when the program is augmented with a self-compassion approach and perceived social support.

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EMERGING ADULT CAREGIVERS: PERCEPTIONS OF OLDER ADULT CARE RECIPIENTS, QUALITY OF CONTACT, AND AGEISM

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.3455 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S952-S952

Author(s):

Anastasia E Canell ◽

Grace Caskie

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Older Adult ◽

Social Role ◽

Emerging Adult ◽

Care Recipient ◽

Adult Care ◽

Care Recipients ◽

Adult Caregivers ◽

Quality Of Contact

Abstract Approximately 12-18% of family caregivers to older adults in the U.S. are 18-25 years old (i.e., emerging adulthood), yet minimal research has focused on this subgroup of caregivers (Levine, 2005; Smyth, Blaxland, & Cass, 2011). Individuals’ perceptions of an older adult’s social role relate to their attitudes toward older adults as a group (Hummert, 1999; Kite & Wagner, 2002). However, whether perceptions that emerging adult caregivers hold of older adults are specific to the social role of “care-recipient” has not been studied. A sample of 210 informal caregivers (ages 18-25) were surveyed to collect qualitative responses regarding perceptions of an older adult care-recipient (age 65+) and to assess quality of contact with the care-recipient and ageist attitudes. Participants were asked to provide five adjectives describing their older adult care-recipient. Approximately 43% provided a set of adjectives in which 80%-100% were coded as positive adjectives (e.g., “active”, “wise”); similarly, half of the sample’s adjective sets contained 0%-25% negative adjectives (e.g., “helpless”, “obnoxious”). The quality of contact with the care-recipient was significantly correlated (p<.001) with the percentage of positive (r=.47) and negative (r=-.49) adjectives. Scores on the Fraboni Scale of Ageism were also significantly correlated (p<.01) with the percentage of positive (r=-.19) and negative (r=.20) adjectives. Overall, these emerging adult caregivers had generally positive perceptions of their older adult care-recipients, and these perceptions reflected the positive quality of contact with the care-recipient. Less ageist attitudes’ relationship with more positive and less negative perceptions may have implications for experiences within a caregiving dyad.

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Perceptions of Healthcare Clinicians on Occupational Therapists Providing Services During Well-Baby Visits

10.21203/rs.3.rs-125935/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Alexis Brenner ◽

Lauren Kresge ◽

Trisha MacLeod ◽

Rebecca McMaster

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Occupational Therapy ◽

Developmental Delay ◽

Parent Education ◽

Primary Care Physicians ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Occupational Therapists ◽

Years Of Experience ◽

Developmental Guidance ◽

Occupational Therapy Practitioners

Abstract Background: To explore the perceptions of healthcare clinicians on the involvement of occupational therapists during a well-baby visit to allot for more face-to-face time with a healthcare practitioner and more efficient developmental milestone screening. Due to the high demand of healthcare clinicians, well-baby visits are becoming shorter caused by lack of availability for healthcare professionals to take on the roles of parent education. Occupational therapy practitioners are qualified as developmental specialists. Therefore, occupational therapy practitioners’ involvement in well-baby visits can compensate for this lack of time and allow for additional parent education and screening for developmental delay. Methods: A 13 question survey to quantitatively analyze the perceptions of healthcare clinicians using a Likert-type psychometric rating scale. The Qualtrics XM survey was distributed to licensed practitioners (i.e. primary care physicians, pediatricians, obstetrician-gynecologists, advanced practice clinicians) through Facebook groups and snowball sampling. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Results: Majority of clinicians believed the inclusion of occupational therapy during a well-baby visit would be beneficial in providing preventative education and developmental guidance to prevent developmental delay. This research was successful in determining that gender, age, and years of experience did not influence the perceptions of healthcare clinicians in regard to the inclusion of occupational therapy practitioners in primary care. Additional findings indicated that there is a discrepancy between the needs of parents and caregivers and the perceptions of healthcare clinicians regarding the sufficiency of education and resources provided during well-baby visits. Conclusion: Majority of clinicians believed the inclusion of occupational therapy practitioners during a well-baby visit would be beneficial to provide preventative education and developmental guidance to prevent developmental delay. Gender, age, and years of experience did not influence the perceptions of healthcare clinicians in regard to the inclusion of occupational therapy practitioners in primary care. Trial Registration: Retrospectively registered

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Use of Handheld Technology by Older Adult Caregivers as Part of a Virtual Support Network

2006 Pervasive Health Conference and Workshops ◽

10.1109/pcthealth.2006.361697 ◽

2006 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Shirley Ann Becker ◽

Frank Webbe

Keyword(s):

Older Adult ◽

Support Network ◽

Handheld Technology ◽

Adult Caregivers ◽

Older Adult Caregivers ◽

Virtual Support

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Digital Access in Working-Age and Older Adults and Their Caregivers Attending Psychiatry Outpatient Clinics: Quantitative Survey (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.9130 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Callum Cruickshank ◽

Donald J MacIntyre

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Older Adult ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Internet Access ◽

Adult Patients ◽

The Internet ◽

Working Age ◽

Adult Caregivers ◽

Older Adult Caregivers

BACKGROUND It has been suggested that improving access to mental health services, supporting self-management, and increasing clinical productivity can be achieved through the delivery of technology-enabled care by personal mobile-based and internet-based services. There is little evidence available about whether working-age and older adults with mental health problems or their caregivers have access to these technologies or their confidence with these technologies. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to ascertain the prevalence and range of devices used to access the internet in patients and caregivers attending general and older adult psychiatry outpatient services and their confidence in using these technologies. METHODS We conducted an anonymous survey of 77 patients and caregivers from a general psychiatry and old age psychiatry clinic to determine rates of internet access and device ownership, and attitudes to technology-enabled care. RESULTS We found high levels of internet access and confidence in using the internet in working-age adults, their caregivers, and older adult caregivers but not in older adult patients. The smartphone usage predominated in working-age adults and their caregivers. Older adult caregivers were more likely to use desktop or laptop computers. In our sample, tablets were the least popular form factor. CONCLUSIONS Access rates and uptake of internet-based services have the potential to be high in working-age adults and their caregivers but are likely to be markedly lower among older adult patients attending psychiatry clinics. Applications designed for tablets are likely to have low uptake. All groups identified appointment reminders as likely to be beneficial.

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Role of Occupational Therapy in Pain Management

American Journal of Occupational Therapy ◽

10.5014/ajot.2021.75s3001 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 75 (Supplement_3) ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Pain Management ◽

Occupational Therapy ◽

Occupational Therapists ◽

Active Engagement ◽

Interprofessional Teams ◽

Occupational Therapy Practitioners

The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) asserts that occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants, collectively referred to as occupational therapy practitioners (AOTA, 2020b), are distinctly prepared to work independently and to contribute to interprofessional teams in the treatment of pain. Occupational therapy practitioners work to ensure active engagement in meaningful occupations for “persons, groups, or populations (i.e., the client)” (AOTA, 2020b, p. 1) at risk for and affected by pain.

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