Caregivers' Experiences Regarding Training and Support in the Post-Acute Home Health-Care Setting

The Impact of Sex and Gender on Burden for Caregivers of Stroke Patients: a narrative review

BACKGROUND

When a patient is disabled after stroke, they require both emotional support and medical management and may require the assistance of a caregiver. Given the often-sudden onset of disability and the complex challenges related to caring for someone after stroke, caregivers can experience a heavy burden. Caregiver burden negatively affects quality of care, quality of life, and physical and psychological health. The impact of gender on caregiver burden has been in many other conditions; however, the association has not yet been thoroughly assessed in stroke.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this paper is to define caregiver burden, discuss how it is assessed, discuss unique aspects of burden for stroke caregivers, and determine the impact of sex and gender on stroke caregiver role and burden.

METHODS

A narrative review was performed to synthesize the available literature and explore how the role of sex and gender impact caregiving for patients who have suffered stroke and whether sex and gender of the caregiver contribute to caregiver burden r.

RESULTS

Review of the available literature suggests that sex and gender significantly impact caregiving burden following stroke dipropionately affecting women.

CONCLUSIONS

Caregiving for patients who have suffered stroke is often provided by women both inside the home and when patients are within institutions. Women who serve as caregivers to stroke patients may be at higher risk of experiencing burden and its negative effects, including emotional strain, anxiety, and/or depression. More research is needed to determine the best ways to provide support for women who act as caregivers for stroke patients to mitigate caregiver burden.

Rural caregivers' preparedness for detecting and responding to the signs of worsening health conditions in recently hospitalised patients at risk for readmission: a qualitative descriptive study

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore informal rural caregivers' perceived preparedness to detect and respond to the signs of worsening health conditions in patients recently discharged from hospital and at risk for readmission.

DESIGN

A qualitative descriptive design and semistructured interviews were used. Data were thematically analysed.

SETTING

Data collection occurred in 2018 and 2019 in rural communities in Southwestern and Northeastern Ontario, Canada.

PARTICIPANTS

The study included sixteen informal caregivers who were all family members of a relative discharged from hospital at high risk for readmission following hospitalisation mostly for a medical illness (63%). Participants were mostly women (87.5%), living with their relative (62.5%) who was most often a parent (56.3%).

RESULTS

Three themes were identified: (1) warning signs and rural communities, (2) perceived preparedness, and (3) improving preparedness. The first theme elucidates informal caregivers' view that they needed to be prepared because they were taking over care previously provided by hospital healthcare professionals yet lacked accessible medical help in rural communities. The second theme captures informal caregivers' perceptions that they lacked knowledge of how to detect warning signs and how to respond to them appropriately. The last theme illuminates informal caregivers' suggestions for improving preparation related to warning signs.

CONCLUSIONS

Informal caregivers in rural communities were largely unprepared for detecting and responding to the signs of worsening health conditions for patients at high risk for hospital readmission. Healthcare professionals can anticipate that informal caregivers, particularly those whose relatives live far from medical help, need information on how to detect and respond to warning signs, and may prioritise their time to this aspect of postdischarge care for these caregivers.

"Second set of eyes:" Family caregivers and post-acute home health care during the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic shaped the experiences of family caregivers of older adults who were hospitalized with COVID-19 and discharged to post-acute, skilled home health care (HHC) services.

METHODS

Thirty semi-structured interviews with family caregivers of older adults who received services from a large, not-for-profit HHC agency following hospitalization with COVID-19 infection were conducted between March-July 2021 and analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

During the pandemic, family caregivers encountered societal and institutional barriers to assisting older adults across post-acute care transitions. These barriers included hospital visitation restrictions as well as difficulties accessing community-based resources and medical equipment. Despite limitations and delays in HHC services, many family caregivers identified post-acute HHC, delivered in-person or via telehealth, as important to addressing care gaps for older adults, as well as their own needs for training and support during the pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS

Policies intended to reduce the spread of COVID-19 introduced new challenges for caregivers during HHC. However, HHC agencies and their staff adapted within this context to provide a needed bridge of support.

Concept analysis of patient safety in home care: a hybrid model

BACKGROUND

Patient safety in home care is a fundamental and complex concept in nursing. This concept includes a number of challenges in patient care. Studies have shown that there is no clear and uniform definition for this concept.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the present study was to analyse patient safety in home care in Iran.

METHODS

The study was done using a hybrid model at three phases, including theoretical, field work and the final analysis. We searched valid databases including MEDLIN and CINHAL; electronic references including Web of Science, Scopus, Ovid, ProQuest, PubMed and Persian databases including Magiran, IranDoc and SID during 2008-2022, using these Persian and English keywords: Patient Safety, Safety, Home Care Service, Domiciliary Care, Home Care and Home Health Care. A total of 16 articles were searched in the theoretical phase and then analysed by content analysis. In field work phase, nine participants were interviewed (nurse, family and patient) and then the interviews were analysed by the content analysis method. In the final analysis phase, a general analysis of the previous two phases was performed and after determining the attributes, antecedents and consequences, a final definition of patient safety in home care in Iran was presented.

FINDINGS

Based on different studies, patient safety in home care is a multifaceted concept, which encompasses physical, mental, social and practical dimensions. Evaluation, prevention, participation and commitment to the safety culture are the core features of this concept. The patient care concept depends on the commitment of the involved participants, adequate resources, environmental conditions, support of the involved centres (home care agency, hospital and the insurance), self-efficacy and the ability of the caregivers (nurses).

CONCLUSION

Defining the concept of patient safety in home care provides a basis for the development of a safe patient care system at home. This concept analysis for patient safety in home care could be a guide for future studies.

Home care nurses’ perception of the challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

Background

Despite the significant role they play in the whole health care system, home care nurses are not paid the attention they deserve. Besides highlighting their significant role in the health care system, the COVID-19 pandemic also posed several challenges for home care nurses.

Objective

The purpose of this study is to explain the nurses’ perception of the challenges of home care during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Methods

The present study was a qualitative study with a conventional content analysis approach conducted from November 2020 to September 2021. Participants included 16 home care nurses who were purposefully selected based on the eligibility criteria. After obtaining ethical authorization, the data were collected through semi-structured interviews. MAXQDA Version 10 software was used for data mangement. Data analysis was performed using the Granheim and Lundman five-step method. Guba and Lincoln criteria were utilized for trustworthiness.

Findings

The seven main categories obtained in this study included “the onset of a new chapter: from avoidance to relapse”, “burnout”, “vortex of moral distress”, “social stigma”, “difficulty in breaking the transmission chain”, “care inhibitors related to the patient and family” and “support deficiency: the crisis of home care nursing agencies during the crisis”.

Conclusion

The results showed that nurses working in home care during the Covid-19 pandemic experienced several challenges in various fields. This study captured the nurses’ perception of the challenges of home care during the Covid-19 pandemic, a period of unprecedented change and difficulty. These challenges included lack of support, psychological problems, and dealing with new experiences. Identifying these challenges can help improve the quality of home care nursing and planning in this area.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12912-022-01082-y.

Fatores socioculturais que contribuem para a qualidade de vida de cuidadores familiares de adultos dependentes de cuidados crônicos

Objetivo: explorar os fatores socioculturais que contribuem para a qualidade de vida de cuidadores familiares de adultos dependentes de cuidados crônicos no Brasil. Método: estudo qualitativo realizado de outubro de 2016 a março de 2017 em Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Vinte e cinco cuidadores familiares de adultos dependentes de cuidados crônicos foram entrevistados por dois pesquisadores por meio de visitas domiciliares. Foi utilizado um roteiro com sete questões abertas relacionadas ao processo de cuidar. As entrevistas foram gravadas em áudio, transcritas e, posteriormente, analisadas por meio da análise de conteúdo. O COREQ foi utilizado para adequação da qualidade estrutural do manuscrito. Resultados: os participantes do estudo relataram diferentes fatores socioculturais que contribuem para sua qualidade de vida. Esses fatores foram categorizados em três categorias principais: O impacto dos construtos socioculturais no processo de cuidar; O autocuidado e suas nuances: velhos desafios para os cuidadores; e Estado e cuidadores: desafios e possibilidades. Conclusões: a qualidade de vida do cuidador é influenciada por suas características e condições socioculturais, apresentando relação com seu modo de viver e de se expressar, sendo, portanto, passível de mudanças. O desenvolvimento de políticas sociais e de saúde para famílias cuidadoras é urgente para a prevenção da sobrecarga familiar e para a promoção de famílias sustentáveis que convivem com doenças crônicas não transmissíveis.

Unmet Caregiving Needs Among Sepsis Survivors Receiving Home Health Care: The Need for Caregiver Training

Unmet needs for family caregiver assistance threaten patient outcomes during Medicare home health care (HHC). Sepsis survivors represent a growing proportion of the HHC patient population, but little is known regarding their risk for unmet caregiving needs. We describe prevalence and underlying cause of unmet caregiving needs for sepsis survivors receiving HHC, using HHC patient assessment data for 85,851 older sepsis survivors receiving post-acute HHC in 2013-2014. Unmet caregiving needs were most common for assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) (28%) and medication administration (27%). Caregivers' need for training accounted for more than three-fourths of all unmet caregiving needs. Those who experienced decline/no improvement in cognitive function were more likely to experience unmet caregiving needs. Findings highlight the potential value of expanding family caregiver training to improve HHC outcomes for sepsis survivors and indicate that caregivers of sepsis survivors with poor cognitive function may benefit most.

Barriers and Facilitators to Family Caregiver Training during Home Health Care: A Multi-Site Qualitative Analysis

Background

During Medicare home health care (HHC), family caregiver assistance is often integral to implementing the care plan and avoiding readmission. Family caregiver training delivered by HHC clinicians (nurses and physical therapists [PTs]) helps ensure caregivers' ability to safely assist when HHC staff are not present. Yet, family caregiver training needs often go unmet during HHC, increasing the risk of adverse patient outcomes. There is a critical knowledge gap regarding challenges HHC clinicians face in providing necessary family caregiver training.

Methods

Multisite qualitative study using semi‐structured, in‐depth key informant interviews with Registered Nurses (n = 11) and PTs (n = 8) employed by four HHC agencies. Participating agencies were diverse in rurality, scale, ownership, and geographic region. Key informant interviews were audio‐recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using directed content analysis to identify existing facilitators and barriers to family caregiver training during HHC.

Results

Clinicians had an average of 9.3 years (range = 1.5–23 years) experience in HHC, an average age of 45.1 years (range = 28–63 years), and 95% were female. Clinicians identified facilitators and barriers to providing family caregiver training at the individual, interpersonal, and structural levels. The most salient factors included clinician–caregiver communication and rapport, accuracy of hospital discharge information, and access to resources such as additional visits and social work consultation. Clinicians noted the COVID‐19 pandemic introduced additional challenges to providing family caregiver training, including caregivers' reduced access to hospital staff prior to discharge.

Conclusions

HHC clinicians identified a range of barriers and facilitators to delivering family caregiver training during HHC; particularly highlighting the role of clinician–caregiver communication. To support caregiver training in this setting, there is a need for updated reimbursement structures supporting greater visit flexibility, improved discharge communication between hospital and HHC, and structured communication aids to facilitate caregiver engagement and assessment.

Current practices of family caregiver training during home health care: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Home health clinicians report a need for family caregiver assistance during the majority of skilled home health care episodes. Since 2018, the Medicare Conditions of Participation has required home health agencies to provide training to family caregivers. However, little is known regarding current practices of family caregiver assessment and training during home health care.

METHODS

Qualitative research relying on semistructured key informant interviews with registered nurses and physical therapists (n = 19), hereafter "clinicians," from four home health agencies. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, then analyzed using directed content analysis to identify relevant themes and concepts.

RESULTS

Three agencies were not-for-profit and one was for-profit; three were urban and one was rural; two operated on a local scale, one on a regional scale, and one on a national scale. Key informants had an average of 9.3 years of experience in home health care and an average age of 45.0 years. Clinicians described a cyclic process of family caregiver training including four major phases: initial assessment, education, reassessment, and adjustment. Initial assessment was informal and holistic; education was delivered via demonstration and teach-back; reassessment was used to evaluate caregiver progress and inform adjustments to the care plan. Clinicians noted that their perceptions regarding the success of family caregiver training efforts influenced decisions relating to clinical practice, including the number of visits provided and whether to discharge the patient.

CONCLUSIONS

Caregiver training is currently integrated into clinician workflows in home health care and helps determine visit intensity and discharge timing, but clinicians face a lack of structured assessment instruments or training materials. Efforts by policymakers and home health agencies to facilitate clinicians' training efforts could positively affect the cost and quality of Medicare-funded home health care.

Family Caregivers' Conceptions of Trust in Home Health Care Providers

Trust is important to family caregivers of older adults receiving home health care (HHC). Caregivers rely extensively on nurses, home health aides, and other providers to manage complex care tasks. The current study examined how family caregivers conceive of trust in HHC providers. Directed content analysis methods were applied to 40 qualitative interviews conducted with caregivers of HHC patients aged ≥65 years. Results indicated that caregivers invested trust in providers who displayed competencies in caring for patients with chronic conditions and functional difficulties, willingness to foster frequent and open communication with room for questions and feedback, confidence in their ability to be present and alert for patients, and fidelity to a variety of tasks contributing to holistic care. Caregivers' conceptions of trust in providers are affected by interpersonal aspects of their interactions with providers as well as the broader systems of care within which they participate. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 14(4), 200-210.].

Patient Factors Linked with Return Acute Healthcare Use in Older Adults by Discharge Disposition

OBJECTIVES

Compare patient characteristics by hospital discharge disposition (home without services, home with home healthcare (HHC) services, or post-acute care (PAC) facilities). Examine timing and rates of 30-day healthcare utilization (rehospitalization, emergency department (ED) visit, or observation (OBS) visit) and patient characteristics associated with rehospitalization by discharge location.

DESIGN

Retrospective analysis of hospital administrative and clinical data.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

A total of 3,294 older adult inpatients discharged home with or without HHC services or to a PAC facility.

MEASUREMENTS

Patient-level sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Number of and time to occurrences of rehospitalization or ED/OBS visit within 30 days of hospital discharge.

RESULTS

Most rehospitalizations and ED/OBS visits occurred within 14 days from hospital discharge. Patients who returned within 24 hours came mostly from inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs). More intense levels of PAC services were linked with higher rehospitalization risk. However, specific predictors differed by discharge location. Being unemployed, being single, and having more comorbidities were most associated with rehospitalization in those who went home with or without services, whereas patients rehospitalized from IRFs were younger, with less chronic illness burden, but greater and recent functional decline. Those discharged with HHC services had more return ED/OBS visits.

CONCLUSIONS

Although sicker patients were referred for more intense levels of PAC services, patients with greater chronic illness burden were still most often rehospitalized. In addition to unique patient differences, rehospitalizations from IRF within 24 hours suggest systems factors are contributory. Most return acute healthcare utilization occurred within 14 days; therefore, interventions should focus on smoothing transitions to all discharge locations. Because predictors of rehospitalization risk differed by discharge disposition, future research is necessary to study approaches aimed at matching patients' care needs with the most suitable PAC services at the right time. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:2279-2287, 2020.