A National Profile of Family and Unpaid Caregivers Who Assist Older Adults With Health Care Activities

Monitoring for change: the role of family and friends in helping older adults manage personal health information

Objective

Although family and friends (FF) often play a significant support role in the health of older adults (OA), we know little about their role in personal health information management (PHIM). To address this gap and inform the design of PHIM tools, we describe the work, needs, and barriers of FF in the context of PHIM for OAs.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 52 FF identified by OA as being important in their health and PHIM. We analyzed interview transcripts for themes about FF information work, barriers, and support needs.

Results

FF play a supportive role in OA health maintenance, medical encounters, decision making, and daily activities. Monitoring, the ongoing process of seeking information related to the OA status, emerged as a key activity comprised of 3 phases: detection, interpretation, and action. Barriers to monitoring included OA choices and constraints, FF constraints, and difficulty with technological tools, resources, health information exchange between providers, social network dynamics, and physical distance.

Conclusions

FF frequently monitor for change in OA well-being, seeking up-to-date information to facilitate support of OA PHIM. Health information technology tools designed for FF can support all phases of monitoring by providing: (1) timely and granular levels of access to OA health information as the OA ages; (2) tailored health education for FF that is based on OA clinical data; and (3) networking platforms that integrate delegation, volunteering, and relevant resources, along with tools to facilitate support of OA appointment calendars and medication management. Such tools could reduce the burden of PHIM for OA and their loved ones.

'Who Cares?' The experiences of caregivers of adults living with heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and coronary artery disease: a mixed methods systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To assess the experiences of unpaid caregivers providing care to people with heart failure (HF) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or coronary artery disease (CAD). Design Mixed methods systematic review including qualitative and quantitative studies. Data sources Databases searched: Medline Ebsco, PsycInfo, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Embase, Web of Science, Ethos: The British Library and ProQuest. Grey literature identified using: Global Dissertations and Theses and Applied Sciences Index and hand searches and citation checking of included references. Search time frame: 1 January 1990 to 30 August 2017.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES

Inclusion was limited to English language studies in unpaid adult caregivers (>18 years), providing care for patients with HF, COPD or CAD. Studies that considered caregivers for any other diagnoses and studies undertaken in low-income and middle-income countries were excluded. Quality assessment of included studies was conducted by two authors.

DATA ANALYSIS/SYNTHESIS

A results-based convergent synthesis was conducted.

RESULTS

Searches returned 8026 titles and abstracts. 54 studies-21 qualitative, 32 quantitative and 1 mixed method were included. This totalled 26 453 caregivers who were primarily female (63%), with median age of 62 years. Narrative synthesis yielded six concepts related to caregiver experience: (1) mental health, (2) caregiver role, (3) lifestyle change, (4) support for caregivers, (5) knowledge and (6) relationships. There was a discordance between paradigms regarding emerging concepts. Four concepts emerged from qualitative papers which were not present in quantitative papers: (1) expert by experience, (2) vigilance, (3) shared care and (4) time.

CONCLUSION

Caregiving is life altering and complex with significant health implications. Health professionals should support caregivers who in turn can facilitate the recipient to manage their long-term condition. Further longitudinal research exploring the evolution of caregiver experiences over time of patients with chronic cardiopulmonary conditions is required.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42016053412.

Interventions That Support or Involve Caregivers or Families of Patients with Traumatic Injury: a Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Almost 40 million family caregivers care for a loved one with severe physical or cognitive impairments. The purpose of this review is to summarize evidence about the benefits of interventions to support or involve family members/caregivers of patients with trauma-related injury on caregiver, patient, and household outcomes.

METHODS

English-language peer-reviewed publications in MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO from 1995 through December 2016 were identified. Eligible studies included RCT or quasi-experimental studies evaluating interventions designed to support or involve caregivers or family members of patients with TBI, PTSD, or polytrauma. Abstractions were completed by one reviewer and checked by a second; two reviewers independently assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care Review Criteria.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies (n = 9 TBI; n = 4 PTSD, n = 0 polytrauma) evaluated psychological or rehabilitation interventions involving caregivers. Interventions did not improve TBI patients' functional status (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.29 [95% confidence interval [CI], - 0.51 to 1.08]) or psychological symptoms (SMD - 0.25, CI - 0.62 to 0.12). Qualitative analysis shows potential intervention benefit for TBI symptoms. Interventions did not improve TBI caregiver psychological symptoms (SMD - 0.26, CI - 0.57 to 0.05); however, qualitative analysis suggests mixed effects for caregiver burden and quality of life. Positive intervention effects on patients' PTSD symptoms, mental health service use, and PTSD caregivers' psychological symptoms were identified with certain interventions. Strength of evidence ranged from moderate to very low.

DISCUSSION

Studies showed mixed patterns of intervention effects on caregiver and patient outcomes; evidence about intervention impact is inconclusive. This review is the first to identify caregiving interventions for patients with TBI and polytrauma and extends past reviews about patients with PTSD. Limitations include a small evidence base, low study quality, disparate methods, varied outcome measures, and high heterogeneity. PROSPERO Registration CRD42017053516.

The Burden of Dysphagia on Family Caregivers of the Elderly: A Systematic Review

With the rapid increase in the elderly population, there is a simultaneous increased need for care provided by family caregivers. Research in the field of head and neck cancer has indicated that caring for patients with dysphagia can impact a caregiver's quality of life. Given that many older adults present with dysphagia, one can assume that their caregivers are equally, if not more greatly, affected. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine all relevant literature regarding the caregiver burden in caregivers of community-dwelling older adults with dysphagia. A review of relevant studies published through April 2018 was conducted using search terms related to dysphagia, caregiver burden, and older adults. The search yielded 2331 unique abstracts. Of the 176 abstracts that underwent full review, four were accepted. All reported an increase in caregiver burden due to presence of dysphagia in care recipients. Worsening feeding-related behaviors were associated with burden, and the use of feeding tubes was more frequently associated with "heavy burden". The presence of dysphagia in community-dwelling older adults is a factor leading to an increased burden among caregivers. Although aspects of dysphagia play a role in the caregiver burden, the specific reasons for the increased burden are unknown. Clinicians should be aware of dysphagia as a source of the burden, and future studies should further define the relationship between dysphagia and the caregiver burden in order to develop comprehensive approaches to care.

Projected Costs of Informal Caregiving for Cardiovascular Disease: 2015 to 2035: A Policy Statement From the American Heart Association

Introduction:

In a recent report, the American Heart Association estimated that medical costs and productivity losses of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are expected to grow from $555 billion in 2015 to $1.1 trillion in 2035. Although the burden is significant, the estimate does not include the costs of family, informal, or unpaid caregiving provided to patients with CVD. In this analysis, we estimated projections of costs of informal caregiving attributable to CVD for 2015 to 2035.

Methods:

We used data from the 2014 Health and Retirement Survey to estimate hours of informal caregiving for individuals with CVD by age/sex/race using a zero-inflated binomial model and controlling for sociodemographic factors and health conditions. Costs of informal caregiving were estimated separately for hypertension, coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and other heart disease. We analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of 16 731 noninstitutionalized adults ≥54 years of age. The value of caregiving hours was monetized by the use of home health aide workers’ wages. The per-person costs were multiplied by census population counts to estimate nation-level costs and to be consistent with other American Heart Association analyses of burden of CVD, and the costs were projected from 2015 through 2035, assuming that within each age/sex/racial group, CVD prevalence and caregiving hours remain constant.

Results:

The costs of informal caregiving for patients with CVD were estimated to be $61 billion in 2015 and are projected to increase to $128 billion in 2035. Costs of informal caregiving of patients with stroke constitute more than half of the total costs of CVD informal caregiving ($31 billion in 2015 and $66 billion in 2035). By age, costs are the highest among those 65 to 79 years of age in 2015 but are expected to be surpassed by costs among those ≥80 years of age by 2035. Costs of informal caregiving for patients with CVD represent an additional 11% of medical and productivity costs attributable to CVD.

Conclusions:

The burden of informal caregiving for patients with CVD is significant; accounting for these costs increases total CVD costs to $616 billion in 2015 and $1.2 trillion in 2035. These estimates have important research and policy implications, and they may be used to guide policy development to reduce the burden of CVD on patients and their caregivers.

Care-related Quality of Life of informal caregivers of the elderly after a hip fracture

Background

Reforms in the Dutch healthcare system in combination with the aging of the population will lead to a strong increase in the demand for informal care in the Netherlands. A hip fracture is one of the most important causes of hospital admissions among frail elderly and informal caregivers experience stress that may have significantly negative impact on the caregivers’ Quality of Life. The purpose of the study was to determine the nature, intensity and the care-related Quality of Life (CarerQoL) of informal caregivers of elderly patients in the first six months after a hip fracture. In this cross-sectional study, were interviewed the primary informal caregivers of patients with a hip fracture about the informal care provided after one, three or six months following the injury. The CarerQoL of the informal caregivers was measured with the CarerQoL-7D instrument.

Results

In total, 123 primary informal caregivers were included. The CarerQoL-7D score was on average 83.7 (SD 15.0) after one, three and six months, and there were no major differences between the measurement time points. The average amount of informal care provided per patient per week was 39.5 during the first six months.

Partners of patients with a hip fracture provided significantly more hours of informal care (β 34.0; 95% CI: 20.9 – 47.1). Female informal caregivers stated a significantly lower level of CarerQoL (β -7.8; 95% CI: -13.3 – -2.3). Female caregivers were 3.0 times more likely to experience relational problems (aOR 3.02; 95% CI 1.08-8.43). Caregivers provided care at 6 months were associated with physical health problems (aOR 2.54; 95% CI 1.05-6.14).

Conclusions

Informal caregivers, especially partners, are faced with providing care of greater intensity to elderly patients during the first six months after a hip fracture. The CarerQoL was not associated with the intensity of the provided informal care. However, this study shows that a considerable group of informal caregivers for elderly patients with a hip fracture experienced relational, physical and mental health problems that stemmed from providing intensive informal care during the first six months.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s41687-018-0048-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A cross-sectional study of family caregiver burden and psychological distress linked to frailty and functional dependency of a relative with advanced dementia

Psychological health of caregivers of people with dementia is a major public concern. This study sought to determine the relationship between caregiver burden, psychological distress, frailty and functional dependency of a relative with advanced dementia. Persons with dementia and their caregivers (102 dyads) participated in this Portuguese community based cross-sectional study. Data were collected using the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale, a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Zarit Burden Interview, the Brief Symptoms Inventory and the Edmonton Frail Scale. Alzheimer's disease was the most common type of dementia among the recipients of care, who showed moderate (42.2%) to severe (52.9%) dementia. Among them 35.3% exhibited moderate and 45.1% severe frailty. Family caregivers reported moderate (76.5%) to severe burden (18.6%). Psychological distress was very high among family caregivers. Results show that people with dementia exhibited moderate (35.3%) or severe frailty (45.1%) and that a severe frailty was found in people with moderate dementia. A one-way ANOVA was conducted between the Global Severity Index and some sociodemographic variables. ANOVA reached p < .01 for employment status of the caregiver, assistance and professional support, and psychiatric history; and p = 0.01 for caregiver age and years of caregiving. Although caregivers reported benefit from the supportive approach offered by the multidisciplinary home care team, high levels of distress and associated burden were found, which might decrease their capacity to care for the person with dementia and their own health and well-being.

Helping Dementia Caregivers Manage Medical Problems: Benefits of an Educational Resource

BACKGROUND/RATIONALE

Family caregivers of people with dementia must attend to medical care needs of their relative, yet few available resources address comorbidities in dementia. Consequently, caregivers feel ill-equipped when medical concerns arise. In response, an educational resource-Alzheimer's Medical Advisor ( AlzMed)-was developed in 2 forms (website and book) and evaluated.

METHODS

Family caregivers (143 website and 51 book) used an educational resource that provides information on medical problems, vital signs, pain, dehydration, and the healthcare system. Data were collected at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months regarding confidence in sign/symptom management, burden, depression, and anxiety.

RESULTS

Caregivers reported significantly improved confidence and (for website users) decreased role strain. Anxiety and depression also decreased, although not significantly. Improved confidence related to a reduction in role strain and anxiety, and care recipients did not experience adverse events.

CONCLUSION

An educational resource focusing on care of comorbid illness may benefit caregiver outcomes.

Mild cognitive dysfunction of caregivers and its association with care recipients' end-of-life plans and preferences

Little is known about the association between cognitive dysfunction among informal caregivers and patients’ plans and preferences for patients’ end of life care. We report on the frequency of cognitive dysfunction among both patients and caregivers and examine associations between caregivers’ cognitive screening scores and end of life plans and preferences of patients with advanced cancer. The current sample was derived from a National Cancer Institute- and National Institute of Mental Health-funded study of patients with distant metastasis who had disease progression on at least first-line chemotherapy, and their informal caregivers (n = 550 pairs). The Pfeiffer Short Portable Mental Status, a validated cognitive screen, was administered to patients and caregivers. Patients were interviewed about their end of life plans and preferences. Logistic regression models regressed patients’ advance care planning and treatment preferences on caregivers’ cognitive screen scores. Patients’ cognitive screen scores were included as covariates. Most caregivers (55%) were spouses. Almost 30% of patients scored worse on the cognitive screen than their caregivers and 12% of caregivers scored worse than the patients. For each additional error that caregivers made on the cognitive screen, patients were more likely (AOR = 1.59, p = 0.002) to report that they preferred that everything possible be done to keep them alive and were less likely (AOR = 0.75, p = 0.04) to have a living will or a health care proxy/durable power of attorney. Worse caregiver cognitive screening scores were associated with higher likelihood of patients’ reporting that they wanted everything done to save their lives and a lower likelihood of having a living will or other type of advanced care plan. Future studies should confirm these findings in other populations and determine the mechanisms that may underlie the identified relationships.

The care-planning conference: Exploring aspects of person-centred interactions

Aim

The aim of this study was to describe the care‐planning conference from the participants' and researchers' perspectives, focusing on exploring aspects of person‐centred interactions.

Design

A single‐instrumental, qualitative case study design was used describing a care‐planning conference taking place in the home of an older woman and her daughter.

Methods

Data collection consisted of observation and digital recording of the care‐planning conference and individual interviews with all the participants before and after the conference. Data were analysed in several phases: first, a narrative description followed by a general description and, thereafter, qualitative content analysis.

Results

The findings revealed that the care‐planning conference conducted had no clear purpose and did not fulfil all parts of the planning process. Three themes emerged related to aspects of person‐centred interactions. The theme “expectations meet reality” showed different expectations, and participants could not really connect during the conference. The theme “navigate without a map” revealed health professionals' lack of knowledge about the care‐planning process. The theme “lose the forest for the trees” described that the conference was conducted only as part of the health professionals' duties. Management and healthcare professionals cannot automatically assume that they are delivering person‐centred care. Healthcare professionals need to be sensitive to the context, use the knowledge and tools available and continuously evaluate and reassess the work carried out.

The Role and Influence of Prostate Cancer Caregivers Across the Care Continuum

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.

Where You Age Matters: Individual- and County-Level Predictors of Formal and Informal Care in Rural Appalachia

OBJECTIVE

Despite overall improvements in the U.S. health care, older adults living in rural counties, such as Appalachian Virginia, continue to be underserved.

METHOD

Multinomial regression models, including both individual and county data from 503 older adults aged 65+, were used to examine factors associated with informal and formal care use.

RESULTS

Older adults with stronger filial beliefs and less positive attitudes toward community services preferred informal help. If the county had more formal care services, however, older adults were more likely to use them, regardless of their filial beliefs. Disparities based on gender were observed, in that women who lived in counties with a higher percentage of older adults below the poverty line were more likely to receive no help than men.

DISCUSSION

Developing effective service promotion tactics, destigmatizing community services, and targeting services and support, especially to women, could decrease health disparities in rural Appalachia and similar geographic areas.

Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Dementia: National Estimates of Functional Disability Trajectories

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the associations between diabetes, heart disease, and dementia, which may increase the difficulty of self-care; model functional disability trajectories jointly with attrition (death or dropout) over 5 years.

DESIGN

Population-based complex survey design.

SETTING

National Health and Aging Trends Study.

PARTICIPANTS

Community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older (N=7,609).

MEASUREMENTS

National estimates were generated using sampling weights. Sociodemographic characteristics, self-reported physician-diagnosed chronic conditions, six activities of daily living (ADL), and cognitive status were ascertained in annual in-person interviews. A joint model using group-based trajectory modeling was used to estimate the number of ADL disabilities and attrition probability. Multinomial logistic regression with survey weights was used to estimate the association between diabetes, heart disease, and dementia and resultant trajectories of disability, with the least disabled trajectory used as a reference.

RESULTS

Three functional disability trajectories were identified: 26.9 million (76.3%) individuals with no disability and a constant study attrition of 14.3%, 4.9 million (13.9%) with mild and increasing disability and 12% attrition in 2012 and 27.2% in 2015, and 3.4 million (9.7%) with severe and increasing disability and 25.4% attrition in 2012 and 35% in 2015. Persons with possible dementia, possible dementia and diabetes, or possible dementia with diabetes and heart disease had significantly greater odds of being on the mild disability trajectory than those with no disability. Persons with probable dementia, representing more than 1.5 million persons, regardless of concurrent conditions, had significantly greater odds of being on the severe disability trajectory than on the no disability trajectory.

CONCLUSIONS

Methods that generate national estimates and account for attrition and for multiple chronic conditions and cognitive status may be useful for health policy-makers to make decisions on care provisions and services.

Correlates of Objective Social Isolation from Family and Friends among Older Adults

This study examined the correlates of objective social isolation from extended family members and friends among older adults. The analysis is based on the older adult sub-sample of the National Survey of American Life (n = 1321). Multinomial logistic regression analyses examined race/ethnicity, demographics, functional health and family and friend network factors as correlates of objective isolation from family and friends. Only 4.47% of respondents were objectively isolated from both their extended family and friends, 10.82% were isolated from their friends, and 7.43% were isolated from their family members. Men were more likely to be objectively isolated from both family and friends and older adults who live with others were significantly more likely to be objectively isolated from their friends. When controlling for subjective social isolation, the two measures of functional health were significantly associated with objective social isolation. In particular, higher levels of self-care impairment decreased the risk of being objectively isolated from friends only, whereas higher mobility impairment was associated with an increased likelihood of being objectively isolated from friends only. Subjective evaluations of social isolation from family and friends were consistently associated with being objectively isolated from family and friends. There were no significant differences between African-Americans, Black Caribbeans and non-Hispanic Whites in objective isolation. These and other findings are discussed in detail.

"What Hath Night to Do with Sleep?": The Caregiving Context and Dementia Caregivers' Nighttime Awakenings

OBJECTIVES

Care provision for persons with dementia can be rewarding yet may disrupt caregiver's sleep health. Using the National Health & Aging Trends Study and the National Study of Caregiving, we examine care receiver and caregiver contextual factors, caregiver health and psychological wellbeing as predictors of caregivers' nighttime awakenings.

METHODS

The sample for this cross-sectional study included 451 caregivers for individuals with dementia surveyed by telephone.

RESULTS

Nighttime awakenings (1 item measure of waking and not being able to return to sleep) almost every night were reported by 16% of caregivers and 10% reported that helping the care receiver caused their sleep to be interrupted most nights. In a multinomial logistic regression, caregivers' greater nighttime awakenings were associated with caring for care recipients with higher fall risk, as well as caregiver characteristics of more chronic medical conditions and emotional difficulty of the care role.

CONCLUSIONS

Emotional caregiving difficulties were associated with nighttime awakenings even accounting for caregivers' health and care receivers' disability. Thus, interventions improving caregiver distress may improve sleep health.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Clinicians should screen caregivers for nighttime awakenings so that evidence-based interventions and treatments can be implemented to prevent persistent sleep disturbances.

Family Caregiving: A Vision for the Future

The authors of this review both served on the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Committee that produced the report, "Caring for an Aging America". In this commentary we summarize key findings and recommendations most relevant to clinicians and researchers in geriatric psychiatry and related disciplines. The report notes the growing prevalence of family caregiving in the United States, especially those caring for high-need patients with multiple chronic conditions, disability, and/or cognitive impairment. To support the capacity of family caregivers to perform critical caregiving tasks, the report recommends a major shift in healthcare policy toward collaborative partnerships among patients, their defined family, and providers of care. Optimizing the role of family caregivers will minimally require systematic attention to the identification, assessment, and support of family caregivers throughout the care delivery process. Research is needed to develop the tools and protocols to efficiently assess caregivers, and identify ways in which they can be integrated into existing clinical practices. We also need research to identify how to best implement, maintain, and evaluate caregiver support programs within clinical and community settings. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should be charged with developing, testing, and implementing provider payment reforms that motivate providers to engage and support family caregivers. Payment reforms should include clearly articulated performance standards that hold providers accountable for caregiver engagement, training, and support by explicitly including caregiver outcomes in quality measures.

Participation and interest in support services among family caregivers of older adults with cancer

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to describe distressed and underprepared family caregiver's use of and interest in formal support services (eg, professional counseling, education, organizational assistance).

METHOD

Cross-sectional mail survey conducted in communities of 8 cancer centers in Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida (response rate: 42%). Family caregivers of Medicare beneficiaries with pancreatic, lung, brain, ovarian, head and neck, hematologic, and stage IV cancers reported support service use and completed validated measures of depression, anxiety, burden, preparedness, and health.

RESULTS

Caregivers (n = 294) were on average age 65 years and mostly female (73%), White (91%), and care recipients' spouse/partner (60%); patients averaged 75 years were majority male (54%) with lung cancer (39%). Thirty-two percent of caregivers reported accessing services while 28% were "mostly" or "extremely" interested. Thirty-five percent of caregivers with high depressive symptoms (n = 122), 33% with high anxiety symptoms (n = 100), and 25% of those in the lowest quartile of preparedness (n = 77) accessed services. Thirty-eight percent of those with high depressive symptoms, 47% with high anxiety symptoms, and 36% in the lowest quartile of preparedness were "mostly" or "extremely" interested in receiving services. Being interested in support services was significantly associated with being a minority, shorter durations of caregiving, and with higher stress burden.

CONCLUSIONS

A large proportion of family caregivers, including those experiencing depression and anxiety symptoms and who were underprepared, are not using formal support services but have a strong interest in services. Strategies to increase service use may include targeting distressed caregivers early in their caregiving experience.

Inviting patients and care partners to read doctors' notes: OpenNotes and shared access to electronic medical records

We examined the acceptability and effects of delivering doctors' visit notes electronically (via OpenNotes) to patients and care partners with authorized access to patients' electronic medical records. Adult patients and care partners at Geisinger Health System were surveyed at baseline and after 12 months of exposure to OpenNotes. Reporting on care partner access to OpenNotes, patients and care partners stated that they had better agreement about patient treatment plans and more productive discussions about their care. At follow-up, patients were more confident in their ability to manage their health, felt better prepared for office visits, and reported understanding their care better than at baseline. Care partners were more likely to access and use patient portal functionality and reported improved communication with patients' providers at follow-up. Our findings suggest that offering patients and care partners access to doctors' notes is acceptable and improves communication and patients' confidence in managing their care.

Factors Associated With Caregivers' Use of Support Services and Caregivers' Nonuse of Services Sought

Informal caregivers may face barriers accessing services like respite care, training, and support groups. Using multinomial logistic regression, I modeled caregivers' probability of using all services sought ("all services used") and nonuse of any services sought ("any unused services") as a function of caregiver and care-recipient characteristics. Care-recipient health and function, especially dementia and need for medical task assistance, were associated with all services used and any unused services, and any unused services were more likely among adult children caring for their parents, caregivers of Black and Hispanic older adults, caregivers providing intensive care, caregivers living in metropolitan areas, and residents of states that spend more on increasing access to caregiver services under the National Family Caregiver Support Program. Regularly scheduled caregiving was associated with higher likelihood of all services used, but not with any unused services. Steps should be taken to increase access for caregivers who provide intensive care, care to dementia patients, or assistance with medical tasks and for Hispanic families.

Development and Initial Validation of the Caregiver Perceptions About Communication With Clinical Team Members (CAPACITY) Measure

Despite the important role that family caregivers play managing the care of persons with complex health needs, little is known about how caregivers perceive themselves to be recognized and valued by health care professionals. Our objective was to develop and validate a novel measure, the CAregiver Perceptions About CommunIcation with Clinical Team members (CAPACITY) instrument. Questions focus on perceived quality of communication with the health care team and the extent to which caregivers believe that the health care team considers their capacity and preferences in decision making. A confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor solution addressing communication and capacity. Internal consistency reliability was .90 for the communication domain and .93 for the capacity domain. Correlations between these two subscales and individual difference measures provided evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. The CAPACITY instrument may be a useful performance measure that quantifies the extent to which caregivers' experience person- and family-centered health care.

Family members' experiences supporting adults with chronic illness: A national survey

INTRODUCTION

Family and friends often help chronically ill adults manage their conditions. Information about specific ways supporters help with disease management, and their experiences with and concerns about helping are lacking. This study describes key roles and concerns of family members who support the health management of adults with chronic illness, and compares experiences of health supporters living in and outside of support recipients' homes.

METHODS

Data were obtained from a national internet survey of 1,722 adults selected to represent the U.S.

POPULATION

Detailed survey questions were completed by 703 respondents who reported providing regular disease-management help to at least one functionally-independent family member or friend with at least one of five chronic conditions (diabetes, heart failure, chronic lung disease, arthritis, depression).

RESULTS

Current supporters assisted 834 chronically ill adults: 257 receiving in-home support and 577 receiving out-of-home support. Current supporters spent 2.1 hours/week on average helping their support recipient with health care, and 21.2% attended their recipient's health care appointments. Many recipients discussed crucial concerns about medication side effects (47.0%) and trouble paying for medications (32.0%) with supporters. However, 41.0% of supporters reported insufficient information about recipients' health conditions and regimen to be helpful. In-home supporters reported arguing more often with support recipients, but also received more information from recipients' health care providers than out-of-home supporters.

DISCUSSION

Family and friends have significant potential to influence patients' chronic illness self-management. Programs to engage chronically ill patients' families to support self-management could provide information and skills targeting needs identified by supporters. (PsycINFO Database Record

Home is where the future is: The BrightFocus Foundation consensus panel on dementia care

INTRODUCTION

A national consensus panel was convened to develop recommendations on future directions for home-based dementia care (HBDC).

METHODS

The panel summarized advantages and challenges of shifting to HBDC as the nexus of care and developed consensus-based recommendations.

RESULTS

The panel developed five core recommendations: (1) HBDC should be considered the nexus of new dementia models, from diagnosis to end of life in dementia; (2) new payment models are needed to support HBDC and reward integration of care; (3) a diverse new workforce that spans the care continuum should be prepared urgently; (4) new technologies to promote communication, monitoring/safety, and symptoms management must be tested, integrated, and deployed; and (5) targeted dissemination efforts for HBDC must be employed.

DISCUSSION

HBDC represents a promising paradigm shift to improve care for those living with dementia and their family caregivers: these recommendations provide a framework to chart a course forward for HBDC.

A Pilot Online Mindfulness Intervention to Decrease Caregiver Burden and Improve Psychological Well-Being

Interventions to reduce caregiver burden are of great interest as the number of informal family caregivers continues to grow. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of an online mindfulness meditation intervention for community-dwelling older adult caregivers and to evaluate its impact on quality of life, caregiver burden, and psychological well-being. A total of 40 caregivers were recruited from 2 community center support groups to participate in an 8-week online mindfulness intervention. Pre and post surveys were administered. Retention rates were high with 55% completing the post surveys and attending at least 5 out of 8 sessions. Matched pairs t test indicated that the intervention reduced caregiver burden, perceived stress, anxiety, and loneliness and improved mental well-being. Online interventions offer flexibility for caregivers regardless of their responsibilities. Future research should expand this opportunity and explore the scalability of online mindfulness interventions.

Changing Structures and Processes to Support Family Caregivers of Seriously Ill Patients

BACKGROUND

Although family caregivers provide a significant portion of health and support services to adults with serious illness, they are often marginalized by existing healthcare systems and procedures.

OBJECTIVE

We examine the role of caregivers in existing systems of care, identify needed changes in structures and processes, and describe how these changes might be monitored and assessed and who should be accountable for implementing them.

DESIGN

Based on a broad assessment of the caregiving literature, the recent National Academy of Sciences Report on family caregiving, and descriptive data from two national surveys, we describe structural and process barriers that limit caregivers' ability to provide effective care.

SUBJECTS

To describe the unique challenges and impacts of caring for seriously ill patients, we report data from a nationally representative sample of older adults and their caregivers (National Health and Aging Trends Study [NHATS]; National Study of Caregiving [NSOC]) to identify the prevalence and impact on family caregivers of seriously ill patients who have high needs for support and are high cost to the healthcare system.

MEASUREMENTS

Standardized measures of patient status and caregiver roles and impacts are used.

RESULTS

Multiple structural and process barriers limit the ability of caregivers to provide effective care. These issues are exacerbated for the more than 13 million caregivers who provide care and support to 9 million seriously ill older adults.

CONCLUSIONS

Fundamental changes are needed in the way we identify, assess, and support caregivers. Educational and workforce development reforms are needed to enhance the competencies of healthcare and long-term service providers to effectively engage caregivers.

Medical Care Activities Among Spouses of Older Adults With Functional Disability: Implications for Caregiving Difficulties and Gains

OBJECTIVES

Spouses of older adults with functional disability often provide help with their partner's medical care. Yet little is known about the implications of these activities for spouses' caregiving experiences. We examined how spouses' medical care activities are linked to both positive and negative aspects of caregiving (difficulties and gains), and whether these associations vary by their age, gender, or education.

DESIGN

Retrospective analysis of data from the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study and National Study of Caregiving cross-sectional studies.

SETTING

Caregivers and care recipients/proxies were interviewed by telephone at home.

PARTICIPANTS

Nationally representative U.S. sample of 345 spousal caregivers and their community-dwelling care recipients aged 65 years and older.

MEASUREMENTS

Caregivers' self-reported sociodemographics, care activities, health conditions, well-being, and support resources. Care recipients (or proxies) reported on their health conditions and dementia status.

RESULTS

A higher number of health system interaction tasks (e.g., making appointments) were significantly associated with greater emotional caregiving difficulties, whereas a higher number of medical/nursing tasks (e.g., giving shots/injections) were significantly linked to greater caregiving gains. A higher number of medical/nursing tasks were also significantly associated with greater physical difficulties for caregiving wives and spouses with less education.

CONCLUSIONS

Medical care activities may have both positive and negative consequences for spousal caregivers, which depend partly on sociodemographics. This study underscores the importance of ensuring that spouses have the resources and support needed to provide complex care to their partners.

Association Between Spousal Caregiver Well-Being and Care Recipient Healthcare Expenditures

OBJECTIVES

To measure the association between spousal depression, general health, fatigue and sleep, and future care recipient healthcare expenditures and emergency department (ED) use.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Health and Retirement Study.

PARTICIPANTS

Home-dwelling spousal dyads in which one individual (care recipient) was aged 65 and older and had one or more activity of daily living or instrumental activity of daily living disabilities and was enrolled in Medicare Part B (N = 3,101).

EXPOSURE

Caregiver sleep (Jenkins Sleep Scale), depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression-8 Scale), and self-reported general health measures.

MEASUREMENTS

Primary outcome was care recipient Medicare expenditures. Secondary outcome was care recipient ED use. Follow-up was 6 months.

RESULTS

Caregiver depressive symptoms score and six of 17 caregiver well-being measures were prospectively associated with higher care recipient expenditures after minimal adjustment (P < .05). Higher care recipient expenditures remained significantly associated with caregiver fatigue (cost increase, $1,937, 95% confidence interval (CI) = $770-3,105) and caregiver sadness (cost increase, $1,323, 95% CI = $228-2,419) after full adjustment. Four of 17 caregiver well-being measures, including severe fatigue, were significantly associated with care recipient ED use after minimal adjustment (P < .05). Greater odds of care recipient ED use remained significantly associated with caregiver fatigue (odds ratio (OR) = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.01-1.52) and caregiver fair to poor health (OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.04-1.45) after full adjustment. Caregiver total sleep score was not associated with care recipient outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Poor caregiver well-being, particularly severe fatigue, is independently and prospectively associated with higher care recipient Medicare expenditures and ED use.

Stroke in Older Survivors of Ischemic Stroke: Standard Care or Something Different?

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability and it is more likely to occur in those who are older. Because people are living longer, the definition of "old" continues to evolve. Age alone should not influence the healthcare that a patient receives, however, evidence indicates that this does occur, especially in older patients. On the basis of the available evidence, it is time to reconsider whether or not stroke care should differ in older survivors of stroke and if so, why. This is a narrative review of stroke-related health care in those with a recent ischemic stroke. It seeks to answer the following question: Should patients aged ≥80 years who have experienced a recent ischemic stroke receive standard care or something different, and if they should receive something different, what should they receive and why? The review focusses on long-term survival, hyper-acute care, secondary prevention, and rehabilitation. The authors propose a number of recommendations in relation to stroke care in older survivors of a recent ischemic stroke.

Brain Structural Markers and Caregiving Characteristics as Interacting Correlates of Caregiving Strain

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between brain structural markers and caregiving strain among older informal caregivers.

DESIGN

A secondary data analysis combining data from the Caregiver Health Effects Study (1993-1994) and the Cardiovascular Health Study MRI examination (1992-1994).

SETTING

Four United States communities.

PARTICIPANTS

Co-residing spousal caregivers (N = 237; mean age: 76.2 years, SD: 2.2 years).

MEASUREMENTS

Visually rated ventricular and white matter (WM) grades from magnetic resonance imaging, caregiving strain defined as "emotional or physical strain associated with providing care" for any of 12 activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), plus measures of caregiving characteristics and caregiver's health.

RESULTS

Overall, 56% of caregivers reported strain. We detected an interaction where strain was very common (>82%) among caregivers who helped with four or more IADLs, regardless of WM grades, and among caregivers with the worst WM grades (WM grades ≥4), regardless of the number of IADLs they helped with. Among caregivers helping with fewer than four IADLs, having WM grade 4 or greater was associated with a 55% higher prevalence ratio for reporting strain. This association remained statistically significant but was most markedly attenuated by adjustments for: care recipient's memory and behavioral problems, caregiver's depression symptoms, and caregiver's ADL impairment.

CONCLUSIONS

Caregiving strain is very common among older informal caregivers who provide help with many IADLs, and among caregivers who help with fewer IADLs, but have manifest signs of white matter pathology. Modern quantitative-neuroimaging studies are needed to evaluate whether more subtle variability in brain structure confers caregiving strain and the related health consequences.

Caregiver determinants of patient clinical event risk in heart failure

BACKGROUND

Preventing hospitalization and improving event-free survival are primary goals of heart failure (HF) treatment according to current European Society of Cardiology guidelines; however, substantial uncertainty remains in our ability to predict risk and improve outcomes. Although caregivers often assist patients to manage their HF, little is known about their influence on clinical outcomes.

AIMS

To quantify the influence of patient and caregiver characteristics on patient clinical event risk in HF.

METHODS

This was a secondary analysis of data using a sample of Italian adults with HF and their informal caregivers ( n = 183 patient-caregiver dyads). HF patients were followed over 12 months for the following clinical events: hospitalization for HF, emergency room visit for HF or all-cause mortality. Influence of baseline caregiver- and patient-level factors (patient and caregiver age; dyad relationship type; patient New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class, cognition, and comorbidities; and caregiver strain, mental health status, and contributions to HF self-care) on patient risk of death or hospitalization/emergency room use was quantified using Cox proportional hazards regression.

RESULTS

Over the course of follow up, 32.8% of patients died, 19.7% were hospitalized for HF and 10.4% visited the emergency room. Higher caregiver strain, better caregiver mental health status and greater caregiver contributions to HF self-care maintenance were associated with significantly better event-free survival. Worse patient functional class and greater caregiver contributions to patient self-care management were associated with significantly worse patient event-free survival.

CONCLUSION

Considering caregiving factors together with patient factors significantly increases our understanding of patient clinical event risk in HF.

Rest-activity rhythm and sleep characteristics associated with depression symptom severity in strained dementia caregivers

Depression is associated with disturbances to sleep and the 24-h sleep-wake pattern (known as the rest-activity rhythm: RAR). However, there remains a need to identify the specific sleep/RAR correlates of depression symptom severity in population subgroups, such as strained dementia caregivers, who are at elevated risk for major depressive disorder. We assessed the cross-sectional associations of sleep/RARs with non-sleep depression symptom severity among 57 (mean age: 74 years, standard deviation: 7.4) strained dementia caregivers who were currently without clinical depression. We derived sleep measures from polysomnography and actigraphy, modelled RARs using a sigmoidally transformed cosine curve and measured non-sleep depression symptom severity using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HRDS) with sleep items removed. The following sleep-wake measures were associated with greater depression symptom severity (absolute Spearman's correlations ranged from 0.23 to 0.32): more time awake after sleep onset (WASO), higher RAR middle level (mesor), relatively shorter active periods (alpha), earlier evening settling time (down-mesor) and less steep RARs (beta). In multivariable analysis, high WASO and low RAR beta were associated independently with depression symptom severity. Predicted non-sleep HDRS means (95% confidence intervals) in caregivers with and without these characteristics were: normal WASO/beta = 3.7 (2.3-5.0), high WASO/normal beta = 5.5 (3.5-7.6), normal WASO/low beta = 6.3 (3.6-8.9) and high WASO/low beta = 8.1 (5.3-10.9). Thus, in our sample of strained caregivers, greater sleep fragmentation (WASO) and less sustained/sharply segregated resting and active periods (low RAR beta) correlate uniquely with depression symptom severity. Longitudinal studies are needed to establish whether these independent sleep-wake correlates of depression symptoms explain heightened depression risk in dementia caregivers.

Family and Other Unpaid Caregivers and Older Adults with and without Dementia and Disability

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the number of caregivers providing assistance to community-dwelling older persons with and without dementia and with or without substantial disability; to describe the characteristics of caregivers and care recipients in these groups; to characterize the health-related tasks that caregivers provide; and to estimate associations between the numbers of tasks and caregiver burden.

DESIGN

Nationally representative surveys of caregivers and older adults in the United States.

SETTING

2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study and National Study of Caregiving.

PARTICIPANTS

Community-dwelling older adults and their family caregivers, who were selected on the basis of having assisted with mobility, self-care, household activities, transportation, or medical tasks.

MEASUREMENTS

Caregiver burden (emotional, physical, financial difficulties) and restrictions on social participation.

RESULTS

Although much larger proportions of older adults with dementia and disability (98.4%, n = 1.0 million) and dementia but not disability (95.5%, n = 1.3 million) received caregiving assistance, the largest absolute number of individuals receiving assistance were older adults without dementia or disability (4.0 million). Within each caregiver group, caregivers provided assistance with at least one task across domains of activity of daily living and instrumental activity of daily living-related assistance (>98%), health systems logistics (>70%), and health management (>50%). There was a significant linear association between number of tasks provided and risk of burden in virtually all caregiver groups and domains of assistance.

CONCLUSION

Caregivers of care recipients without dementia or disability accounted for the largest absolute number of helpers. These caregivers, similar to caregivers of care recipients with dementia or disability, delivered a broad spectrum of health-related tasks and experienced caregiver burden and restrictions on social participation. Findings support the need for interventions that address the needs of caregivers who have not typically been defined as high risk.

"It Has Changed My Life": An Exploration of Caregiver Experiences in Serious Illness

Background:

Informal, unpaid caregivers shoulder much of the care burden for individuals with serious illness. As part of a project to create an innovative model of supportive care for serious illness, a series of user interviews were conducted, forming the basis for this article.

Objective:

To understand both individual and interpersonal aspects of caregiving for serious illness.

Methods:

Twelve semistructured group interviews were conducted with patients, families, and professionals as part of a larger study of late-life serious illness. Transcript data were analyzed with descriptive coding, and then coded material was analyzed to elicit major themes and subthemes.

Results:

A total of 73 individuals participated in group interview sessions. Using descriptive coding, quotes were assigned to first-order codes of rewards, challenges, and a category of learnings and adaptations. Subthemes of reward included gratitude, a sense of accomplishment or mastery, and closeness in personal relationships. The most oft-cited challenges included emotional and physical stresses of caregiving and feeling unprepared or unsupported in caregiving. Reflecting on their experiences, caregivers cited new ways in which they had learned to be creative, to show assertiveness and advocacy, and to create personal balance in a demanding situation.

Conclusions:

The experience of caregiving is a life-altering journey as individuals rise to challenges and reflect on the rewards. Caregivers described intensive caregiving, often without acknowledgment or understanding of their role from the health-care system. This invisibility created its own iatrogenic caregiving challenge. The identified themes suggest avenues of meaningful caregiver support that bear further exploration.

Impact of caregiver activities and social supports on multidimensional caregiver burden: analyses from nationally-representative surveys of cancer patients and their caregivers

PURPOSE

Informal caregivers of individuals with cancer may experience substantial burdens. To develop interventions to support these caregivers, it is crucial to quantify and understand the domains of burdens potentially experienced by caregivers and factors contributing to each domain.

METHODS

Using data from two national surveys, the National Survey of Caregiving (NSOC) linked to the National Health and Aging Trends Survey (NHATS), we identified all participants in the NHATS diagnosed with cancer who had a caregiver participating in the NSOC. Guided by a theoretical model, twenty-two items in the NSOC related to caregiver health, mood and outlook were included in factor analysis to develop scales capturing domains of burden. Multivariable regression analyses examined whether activities performed by caregivers and supports for caregivers were associated with these burden scales.

RESULTS

Analysis of responses from 373 caregivers of cancer patients identified three scales: emotional burden; psychological burden; and relationship with the patient. Providing assistance managing medical care was associated with increased emotional and psychological burden, while assistance with non-medical issues increased psychological burden and worsened relationships with patients. Caregiver provision of direct patient care activities was also associated with increased burden but improved relationships with patients. Use of caregiver supports showed mixed associations with burden.

CONCLUSIONS

Using a nationally-representative sample of cancer patients and their caregivers and brief publicly-available survey questions, we present three scales addressing different aspects of caregiver burden that are responsive to caregiver activities and social supports. This may assist in developing and evaluating intervention to decrease caregiver burden.

The association between family caregivers' involvement in managing older adults' medications and caregivers' information-seeking behavior

OBJECTIVES

1) To explore the association between family caregivers' involvement in managing care recipients' medications and their information-seeking behavior related to caregiving; and 2) to examine the sources used by caregivers when seeking information.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of cross-sectional data from 2 national studies, the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and its supplement, the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC), was conducted. A nationally representative sample of community-dwelling adults (≥65 years of age) completed NHATS interviews, and a sample of their family caregivers participated in NSOC. Caregiver involvement in medication management was assessed with the use of 2 items asking caregivers if they helped keep track of care recipients' medications or helped with injecting medications. Information seeking was assessed with the use of an item asking caregivers if they ever looked for caregiving-related information.

RESULTS

Out of 1367 caregivers interviewed, 54% reported helping to keep track of care recipients' medications and 8.7% assisting with injecting medications. Approximately 10.2% (n = 149) of caregivers reported seeking information to help them care for their care recipients. Caregivers sought information primarily on their own either through online resources or asking friends or relatives (73.3%). Sixty-four percent also sought information from medical providers or social workers. Adult children of caregivers were more likely to seek information for their older adult parents, based on bivariate analysis (P <0.01). In multivariable-adjusted models, caregivers who helped to keep track of medications had 2.30 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18 to 4.51) times higher odds of seeking information to help them to provide care for their care recipients. Caregivers helping with injecting medications were less likely to seek information (odds ratio 0.32, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.76).

CONCLUSION

Specific caregiver responsibilities, such as assisting with medication management activities, are associated with caregivers' information-seeking behavior related to care recipients' health. Health care providers, including pharmacists, can play an important role in helping caregivers to identify proper resources for information and in educating them about medication management.

Understanding the Burden Experienced by Caregivers of Older Adults Who Use a Powered Wheelchair: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: In this study, we aimed to describe the burden of family caregivers providing powered wheelchair-related and overall assistance and test the hypotheses that caregiver burden correlates with participation, wheelchair skills capacity, anxiety, depression, and social support. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Participants included 35 family caregivers of powered wheelchair users. Caregivers were assessed using the Power Mobility Caregiver Assistive Technology Outcome Measure, Late Life Disability Instrument, Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire for caregivers, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Interpersonal Support Evaluation List-12. Results: The most burdensome powered wheelchair assistance items were providing verbal hints/directions, needing to be nearby, anxiety, and fear that user may be harmed. The most burdensome overall assistance item was feeling limited in recreational/leisure activities. Caregiver burden was significantly correlated with participation limitations, anxiety, depression, and social support. Discussion: Caregivers experience burden for wheelchair-related and overall help, especially psychological burden. Such results have implications for the type of resources required to support family caregivers.

Predictive Factors of Rapid Cognitive Decline in Patients with Alzheimer Disease

Aim

To determine predictive factors associated with rapid cognitive decline (RCD) in elderly patients suffering from Alzheimer disease (AD).

Methods

Patients suffering from mild to moderate AD were included. RCD was defined as the loss of at least 3 points on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) over 12 months. Factors associated with RCD were identified by logistic regression.

Results

Among 123 patients included, 61 were followed up until 12 months. RCD occurred in 46% of patients (n = 28). Polymedication (p < 0.0001), the fact that the caregiver was the child or spouse of the patient (p < 0.0001) and autonomy for washing (p < 0.0001) were protective factors against RCD, while the presence of caregiver burden (p < 0.0001) was shown to be a risk factor for RCD.

Conclusion

Early detection of the RCD risk in AD patients could make it possible to anticipate the patient's medical needs and adjust the care plan for caregiver burden.