1
|
Tsui EK, Reckrey JM, Franzosa E, LaMonica M, Gassama S, Boerner K. Awareness, Acceptance, Avoidance: Home Care Aides' Approaches to Death and End-of-Life Care. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2024; 89:550-566. [PMID: 35245148 DOI: 10.1177/00302228221078348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Death and dying are woven throughout the work of home care aides, and yet the care they provide at the end of life (EOL) remains poorly understood. This is due in part to the multiple circumstances under which aides provide EOL care. In this paper, we elucidate the EOL care experiences of aides working in home care agencies in New York City. We conducted in-depth interviews with 29 home care aides, and we analyzed these data using inductive, team-based methods. Our findings show that aides may not be aware of or accept a client's EOL status, and they may avoid EOL care. These conditions shape EOL care, and we detail the committed forms of care aides provide when they are aware and accepting. We recommend improved training, support systems, and policy change to enhance aides' contributions to EOL care, while protecting aides' health and well-being.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma K Tsui
- Department of Community Health & Social Sciences, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer M Reckrey
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emily Franzosa
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), James J. Peters, VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Marita LaMonica
- Department of Community Health & Social Sciences, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, New York, NY, USA
| | - Seedoumuktar Gassama
- Department of Community Health & Social Sciences, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kathrin Boerner
- Department of Gerontology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
El-Sherif RAM, Shaban AH, Abbas FA, Alsirafy SA. Burden, Depression and Quality of Life in Carers of Newly Diagnosed Advanced Cancer Patients in Egypt. J Pain Symptom Manage 2024; 67:e403-e408. [PMID: 38403021 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2024.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
CONTEXT The goal of palliative care (PC) is to improve the quality of life (QoL) of patients with life-limiting illnesses as well as their families. Ideally, PC is integrated early in the course of life-limiting illnesses. Less attention has been paid to the need for early PC for family caregivers (FCs) in lower-income settings. OBJECTIVES This observational cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the burden experienced by FCs of newly diagnosed incurable cancer patients in Egypt and characterize its relation to depression and QoL. METHODS Ninety-five adult FCs of adult patients with newly diagnosed incurable cancer completed the 22-item Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI-22), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and Short Form 12 (SF-12) to assess caregiving burden, depression, and QoL among FCs, respectively. RESULTS The median (IQR) ZBI-22 score was 17(11-24) and 34% of FCs had significant burden (ZBI-22 score > 20). Assistance with late loss activities of daily living and availability for longer caregiving duration were associated significantly with higher caregiving burdens (P = 0.004 and 0.047, respectively). FCs with significant burden had significantly higher PHQ-9 scores (P = 0.0003). There was a significant negative correlation between ZBI-22 scores and the bodily pain, general health, mental health, physical function, role emotional, and social function subscales/items of SF-12. CONCLUSIONS A substantial proportion of Egyptian FCs of incurable cancer patients experience significant burden early in the course of the disease. This burden is associated with depressive symptoms and worse QoL dimensions, physical, psychological, and social. In a lower-income setting, early PC interventions for FCs of incurable cancer patients are needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rofida A M El-Sherif
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine (R.A.M.S., A.H.S., F.A.B.), Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Ahmed H Shaban
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine (R.A.M.S., A.H.S., F.A.B.), Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Fatma A Abbas
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine (R.A.M.S., A.H.S., F.A.B.), Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Samy A Alsirafy
- Palliative Medicine Unit, Department of Clinical Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Kasr Al-Ainy Faculty of Medicine (S.A.A.), Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Im J, Abedini NC, Wong ES. Disability and Place of Death in Older Americans: The Moderating Role of Household Wealth. J Pain Symptom Manage 2024; 67:411-419.e3. [PMID: 38340907 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2024.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
CONTEXT Home-based deaths are increasing, yet, how wealth influences where people die in the presence of disability remains unknown. OBJECTIVE To examine place of death by help with (instrumental) activities of daily living (I/ADLs) at the end of life (EOL) and the modifying role of wealth. METHODS Retrospective study of decedents from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 13,210). The exposure was intensity of help with I/ADLs at the EOL (no help/ lower intensity/higher intensity). The outcome was place of death (hospital/nursing home/home). Household wealth was an effect modifier with six categories: ≤$0, first-fifth quintile. Covariates included age, gender, race, marital status at the EOL, last place of residence, and receipt of hospice care. We used multinomial logit regression models with estimates reported as average marginal effects (AMEs). RESULTS Mean age was 79.8 years; 53.2% were female. In the adjusted models, compared to not receiving help at EOL, receiving higher-intensity help was associated with a lower probability of dying in a hospital (AME = -3.8 percentage points (pp), 95% CI = -6.3 to -1.3) and a higher probability of dying at home (AME = 3.6 pp, 95% CI = 1.4-5.7). Associations were most pronounced among decedents in the top two wealth quintiles; older adults who received higher-intensity help had a lower probability of dying in a hospital (AME = -9.0 pp, 95% CI = -14.8 to -3.1), and a higher probability of dying at home (AME = 8.4 pp, 95% CI = 3.8-13.0). CONCLUSION Receiving higher intensity of help with I/ADLs was associated with lower likelihood of dying in a hospital, and higher likelihood of dying at home, particularly among older adults with greater wealth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Im
- Department of Health Systems and Population Health (J.I., E.S.W.), University of Washington, Hans Rosling Center for Population Health, 3980 15th Ave. NE, Fourth Floor Box 351621, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA; Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence (J.I., N.C.A.), Harborview Medical Center, 325 9th Avenue, Box 359762, Seattle, Washington 98104, USA.
| | - Nauzley C Abedini
- Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence (J.I., N.C.A.), Harborview Medical Center, 325 9th Avenue, Box 359762, Seattle, Washington 98104, USA; Department of Medicine (N.C.A.), University of Washington, Harborview Medical Center, 325 9th Avenue, Box 359755, Seattle, Washington 98104, USA
| | - Edwin S Wong
- Department of Health Systems and Population Health (J.I., E.S.W.), University of Washington, Hans Rosling Center for Population Health, 3980 15th Ave. NE, Fourth Floor Box 351621, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hollingshaus M, Smith KR, Meeks H, Ornstein K, Iacob E, Tay D, Stephens C, Utz RL. Mortality risk following end-of-life caregiving: A population-based analysis of hospice users and their families. Soc Sci Med 2024; 348:116781. [PMID: 38547806 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Experiencing the death of a family member and providing end-of-life caregiving can be stressful on families - this is well-documented in both the caregiving and bereavement literatures. Adopting a linked-lived theoretical perspective, exposure to the death and dying of one family member could be conceptualized as a significant life stressor that produces short and long-term health consequences for surviving family members. This study uses familial-linked administrative records from the Utah Population Database to assess how variations in family hospice experiences affect mortality risk for surviving spouses and children. A cohort of hospice decedents living in Utah between 1998 and 2016 linked to their spouses and adult children (n = 37,271 pairs) provides an ideal study population because 1) hospice typically involves family members in the planning and delivery of end-of-life care, and 2) hospice admission represents a conscious awareness and acknowledgment that the decedent is entering an end-of-life experience. Thus, hospice duration (measured as the time between admission and death) is a precise measure of the family's exposure to an end-of-life stressor. Linking medical records, vital statistics, and other administrative microdata to describe decedent-kin pairs, event-history models assessed how hospice duration and characteristics of the family, including familial network size and coresidence with the decedent, were associated with long-term mortality risk of surviving daughters, sons, wives (widows), and husbands (widowers). Longer hospice duration increased mortality risk for daughters and husbands, but not sons or wives. Having other family members in the state was protective, and living in the same household as the decedent prior to death was a risk factor for sons. We conclude that relationship type and sex likely modify the how of end-of-life stressors (i.e., potential caregiving demands and bereavement experiences) affect health because of normative gender roles. Furthermore, exposure to dementia deaths may be particularly stressful, especially for women.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mike Hollingshaus
- Senior Demographer, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah, United States.
| | - Ken R Smith
- Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of Family and Consumer Studies, University of Utah, United States.
| | - Huong Meeks
- Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, University of Utah, United States.
| | | | - Eli Iacob
- Assistant Research Professor, College of Nursing, University of Utah, United States.
| | - Djin Tay
- Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, University of Utah, United States.
| | - Caroline Stephens
- Associate Professor, College of Nursing, University of Utah, United States.
| | - Rebecca L Utz
- Professor, Sociology Department, University of Utah, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Turner SG, Robinson JRM, Pillemer KA, Reid MC. Prevalence Estimates of Arthritis and Activity-Limiting Pain Among Family Caregivers to Older Adults. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2024; 64:gnad124. [PMID: 37656675 PMCID: PMC11020308 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnad124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Little is known about the prevalence of physical pain among family caregivers to older adults. We used national survey data to assess the relative prevalence of caregivers' arthritis and activity-limiting bothersome pain by caregiver and care-recipient characteristics to identify which caregivers may be at a higher risk for physical pain. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We analyzed data collected from 1,930 caregivers who participated in the National Study on Caregiving (2017). We utilized modified Poisson models to estimate adjusted associations of caregiver and care-recipient characteristics with the relative prevalence of arthritis and bothersome pain. RESULTS Forty percent of caregivers had a lifetime diagnosis of arthritis. Seventy-five percent of caregivers with arthritis reported bothersome pain, nearly 30% of whom endorsed bothersome pain that limited their activities on most or every day of the previous month (i.e., activity-limiting bothersome pain). Regardless of whether they had arthritis, 51% of the sample reported bothersome pain in the previous month, 24% of whom indicated activity-limiting bothersome pain. Caregivers who were older or more highly educated had a higher prevalence of arthritis. Black caregivers had a lower prevalence of arthritis and activity-limiting bothersome pain compared to White caregivers. Caregivers with physical difficulty providing care had a higher prevalence of arthritis and activity-limiting bothersome pain than caregivers without physical difficulty providing care. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS Arthritis and activity-limiting bothersome pain are highly prevalent among caregivers. Given increased prevalence of pain among certain caregivers, it may be efficient to target these groups for pain management interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shelbie G Turner
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, New York City, New York, USA
| | | | - Karl A Pillemer
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, New York City, New York, USA
- College of Human Ecology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - M Carrington Reid
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, New York City, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Reckrey JM, McKendrick K, Morrison RS, Osakwe ZT, Ornstein KA, Aldridge M. Variation in Hospice Aide Care by Residential Setting. J Palliat Med 2024. [PMID: 38647702 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2023.0585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Hospice care frequently includes hands-on care from hospice aides, but the need for hospice aide care may vary in residential settings (e.g., assisted livings and nursing homes). Objectives: The objective of this study is to compare hospice aide use and factors associated with use across residential settings. Design: This longitudinal cohort study used data from Medicare beneficiaries in the United States enrolled in the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) who died between 2010 and 2019 and had hospice claims and available residential setting data in MCBS (n = 1,915). Analysis: Decedent hospice aide use was compared by residential settings; multivariable models controlling for sociodemographic, clinical/functional, and hospice characteristics examined factors associated with hospice aide care in different residential settings. Results: Hospice aide visits were least common in the community setting (64.4% vs. 76.6% vs. 72.6% with any hospice aide visits in community, assisted living, and nursing home, respectively, p = 0.001). In adjusted models, factors associated with hospice aide visits did not significantly differ by residential settings. Conclusions: Despite staff providing hands-on support in assisted livings and nursing homes, hospice aide visits were more common in residential as opposed to community settings, and factors associated with hospice aide visits were similar among settings. To maximize the potentially positive impact of hospice aides on overall care, additional work is needed to understand when hospice aides are used and how hospice aides collaborate with families and care teams. This will help to ensure that hospice care is appropriately tailored to individual care needs in all residential settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen McKendrick
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - R Sean Morrison
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Zainab Toteh Osakwe
- Adelphi University College of Nursing and Public Health, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Melissa Aldridge
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Patano A, Wyatt G, Lehto R. Palliative and End-of-Life Family Caregiving in Rural Areas: A Scoping Review of Social Determinants of Health and Emotional Well-Being. J Palliat Med 2024. [PMID: 38598274 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2023.0566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Due to their remote location, rural-dwelling family caregivers (FCGs) experience geographic and psychosocial challenges when providing home-based palliative and end-of-life (PEOL) care for their care recipient. Limited research has evaluated the social and environmental factors that may compound FCG burden and contribute to adverse emotional health outcomes among rural-dwelling PEOL FCGs. Objective: To characterize the social determinants of health (SDOH) that affect the provision of PEOL care among rural-dwelling FCGs, along with symptoms of anxiety and depression. Methods: A scoping review was conducted using Arksey and O'Malley's Framework. Searches were conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Cochrane, and 511 articles published between 2010 and 2023 were screened. Keywords included "rural," "PEOL care," and "FCG." Inclusion criteria included FCGs, ages ≥18 years; findings reported on SDOH, anxiety, and/or depressive symptoms; within a rural context; and U.S. based. Findings: In this review, 18 studies met eligibility and were included. Apart from six studies that specifically investigated Black and Latinx FCGs, most FCGs were middle-aged White female spouses. SDOH impacting PEOL care provision included: limited access to PEOL services due to remote distance and travel needs for services; low health literacy in medical terminology and patient symptom management; limited English-language proficiency; perceived clinician racial and ethnic discrimination; financial vulnerabilities affecting health care coverage; and underdeveloped infrastructure. These barriers negatively impacted decision making, communication with clinicians, and patient symptom management. FCGs reported emotional distress related to patients' symptom management and limited opportunities for respite. There was a limited investigation of emotional well-being and minimal interventions aimed toward improving rural-dwelling FCG emotional health. The presence of community support promoted hospice use and facilitated the provision of care. Conclusions: FCGs are vulnerable to adverse emotional health when providing home-based PEOL care. Research is needed to develop supportive interventions (e.g., digital health) for rural-dwelling FCGs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arienne Patano
- College of Nursing, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Gwen Wyatt
- College of Nursing, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Rebecca Lehto
- College of Nursing, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Michaels JA, Meeker MA. Orchestrating Care: A Grounded Theory Study of Family Caregiving for Older Adults in Rural Areas. QUALITATIVE HEALTH RESEARCH 2024:10497323241236308. [PMID: 38594823 DOI: 10.1177/10497323241236308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Family caregivers provide the majority of long-term care and support of older adults as they age or approach the end of life. Studies often refer to family caregivers as invisible because the American healthcare system, public policy, and society do not support or recognize their work. Family caregivers who provide care to older adults who live in rural areas face unique challenges due to the rural environment. The purpose of this study was to inductively develop a theoretical framework that explains the process of family caregiving to older adults who live at home in rural areas and require daily assistance while exploring their experiences regarding access, utilization, challenges, and effectiveness of patient healthcare services and caregiver resources in rural areas. The grounded theory method of Strauss and Corbin was used for sampling, data collection, and data analysis. Fifteen family caregivers who oversaw and/or provided care on a daily basis to an older adult living in two rural counties of New York State participated in the study. Data were collected through two semi-structured interviews with each participant, yielding 30 interviews. Findings revealed that family caregivers engaged in the process of orchestrating care by growing into caregiving, integrating technology, and utilizing networks when providing and managing caregiving. Understanding caregiving from the perspective of family caregivers engaged in the process can inform healthcare practice, healthcare education, and public policy and can support better outcomes for both older adults and their family caregivers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline A Michaels
- School of Nursing, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
- School of Nursing and Allied Health, SUNY Empire State University, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
| | - Mary Ann Meeker
- School of Nursing, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Salazar MM, Khera N, Chino F, Johnston E. Financial hardship for patients with cancer and caregivers at end of life in the USA: narrative review. BMJ Support Palliat Care 2024; 14:25-35. [PMID: 38123962 DOI: 10.1136/spcare-2023-004556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients and their families face financial hardship during cancer treatment, which may intensify at end of life (EOL) due to increased symptoms and care needs. We undertook a narrative literature review to describe the current understanding of the causes, impacts and factors associated with financial hardship at EOL. We identify gaps in research, policy and clinical practice and propose steps to mitigate financial hardship for patients and caregivers at EOL. METHODS We conducted a Medline search to identify US studies since 2000 that examined EOL financial hardship for patients with cancer and their caregivers. RESULTS Twenty-seven adult and four paediatric studies met review criteria. Adults with cancer and their caregivers face significant financial hardship at EOL and in bereavement, especially due to employment changes and informal caregiving time costs. Financial hardship may be higher for younger caregivers and for patients who are uninsured, low income, rural, with high symptom burdens or with certain cancer types. The few paediatric studies showed high financial hardship and employment impact lasting well beyond a child's death. CONCLUSIONS There is limited literature examining financial hardship at EOL in the USA, especially in paediatrics. Priorities for future research include longitudinal studies in diverse populations of patients with cancer and informal caregivers using standardised financial hardship measures. Policies to address financial hardship at EOL, especially with hospice care, should include insurance coverage for family caregiving and medical leave policies. There is need for increased financial hardship screening at EOL and in bereavement and a need for financial navigation interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marisa Martinez Salazar
- School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine-Scottsdale Campus, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
| | - Nandita Khera
- Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Fumiko Chino
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Emily Johnston
- Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Wen FH, Hou MM, Su PJ, Shen WC, Chou WC, Chen JS, Chang WC, Tang ST. Factors of preparedness for loss from cancer among Taiwanese family caregivers. DEATH STUDIES 2024; 48:630-639. [PMID: 38236991 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2024.2305340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
This cohort study investigated factors associated with 336 Taiwanese family caregivers' emotional and cognitive preparedness for death of a loved one with terminal cancer. Caregivers' death-preparedness states (no-death-preparedness [as reference], cognitive-death-preparedness-only, emotional-death-preparedness-only, and sufficient-death-preparedness states) were previously identified. Associations of factors with these states were determined by a hierarchical generalized linear model. Financial hardship decreased caregivers' likelihood for the emotional-death-preparedness-only and sufficient-death-preparedness states. Physician prognostic disclosure increased membership in the cognitive-death-preparedness-only and sufficient-death-preparedness states. The better the quality of the patient-caregiver relationship, the higher the odds for the emotional-death-preparedness-only and sufficient-death-preparedness states, whereas the greater the tendency for caregivers to communicate end-of-life issues with their loved one, the lower the odds for emotional-death-preparedness-only state membership. Stronger coping capacity increased membership in the emotional-death-preparedness-only state, but perceived social support was not associated with state membership. Providing effective interventions tailored to at-risk family caregivers' specific needs may facilitate their death preparedness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fur-Hsing Wen
- Department of International Business, Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ming-Mo Hou
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Po-Jung Su
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Wen-Chi Shen
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Wen-Chi Chou
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Jen-Shi Chen
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Wen-Cheng Chang
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Siew Tzuh Tang
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
- School of Nursing, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Nursing, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Nursing, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Phongtankuel V, Czaja S, Park T, Dignam R, Adelman R, Shah S, Vasquez F, Reid MC. Assessing the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a novel symptom management care delivery intervention for caregivers receiving home hospice care: The I-HoME protocol. Contemp Clin Trials 2024; 136:107389. [PMID: 37972753 PMCID: PMC10922463 DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2023.107389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Terminally ill patients experience high symptom burden at the end of life (EoL), even when receiving hospice care. In the U.S., family caregivers play a critical role in managing symptoms experienced by patients receiving home hospice services. Yet, most caregivers don't receive sufficient support or formal training in symptom management. Therefore, providing additional visits and education to caregivers could potentially improve outcomes for both patient and caregiver. In response, we developed the Improving Home hospice Management of End-of-life issues through technology (I-HoME) intervention, a program designed for family caregivers of home hospice patients. This paper describes the intervention, study design, and protocol used to evaluate the intervention. METHODS The I-HoME study is a pilot randomized controlled trial aimed at reducing patient symptom burden through weekly tele-visits and education videos to benefit the patient's family caregiver. One hundred caregivers will be randomized to hospice care with (n = 50) or without (n = 50) the I-HoME intervention. Primary outcomes include intervention feasibility (e.g., accrual, attrition, use of the intervention) and acceptability (e.g., caregivers' comfort accessing the tele-visits and satisfaction). We will also examine preliminary efficacy using validated patient symptom burden and caregiver outcome measures (i.e., burden, depression, anxiety, satisfaction). CONCLUSION The trial is evaluating a novel symptom management intervention that supports caregivers of patients receiving home hospice services. The intervention employs a multi-pronged approach that provides needed services at a time when close contact and support is crucial. This research could lead to advances in how care gets delivered in the home hospice setting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Veerawat Phongtankuel
- Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E 68th St, Box 39, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sara Czaja
- Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E 68th St, Box 39, New York, NY, USA
| | - Taeyoung Park
- Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E 68th St, Box 39, New York, NY, USA.
| | | | - Ronald Adelman
- Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E 68th St, Box 39, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shivani Shah
- VNS Health, 220 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017, USA
| | | | - M C Reid
- Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E 68th St, Box 39, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Alshakhs S, Park T, McDarby M, Reid MC, Czaja S, Adelman R, Sweet E, Jedlicka CM, Delgado D, Phongtankuel V. Interventions for Family Caregivers of Patients Receiving Palliative/Hospice Care at Home: A Scoping Review. J Palliat Med 2024; 27:112-127. [PMID: 37582194 PMCID: PMC10790551 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2023.0160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a need for understanding the breadth of interventions for caregivers of individuals receiving hospice care at home, given the important role caregivers play in caring and the negative outcomes (e.g., depression) associated with their caregiving. Previous reviews were limited in scope to certain types of interventions or patient populations. The objective of this scoping review was to broadly examine the interventions targeting caregivers who provide care to terminally ill patients in home, with the purpose of (1) describing the characteristics of these interventions, (2) discussing key outcomes, limitations, and knowledge gaps, (3) highlighting intervention strengths, and (4) proposing future research directions. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Intervention studies that met the inclusion criteria and that were published up until October 2022 were obtained from the following databases: Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, CINAHL (EBSCO), and The Cochrane Library (Wiley). We analyzed 76 studies describing 55 unique interventions that took place in 14 countries. Interventions were largely delivered by nurses (n = 18, 24%), followed by an interdisciplinary team (n = 16, 21%), a health care provider (n = 10, 13%), research staff (n = 10, 13%), social worker (n = 5, 7%), and others (n = 11, 15%). Six interventions (8%) were self-administered. The most measured outcome was caregiver quality of life (n = 20, 26%), followed by anxiety (n = 18, 24%) and burden (n = 15, 20%). Missing data on patient and caregiver characteristics (i.e., age, gender) were common, and less than half of studies (n = 32, 42%) reported race/ethnicity data. Our review highlighted the current state of interventions for caregivers of patients receiving hospice care at home. Many of the interventions were in the early phases of development, raising the need for future studies to look at efficacy, effectiveness, and the ability to implement interventions in real-world settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Meghan McDarby
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - M. Cary Reid
- Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sara Czaja
- Center on Aging and Behavioral Research, Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Caroline M. Jedlicka
- Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
- Robert J. Kibbee Library, Kingsborough Community College, CUNY (City University of New York), New York, New York, USA
| | - Diana Delgado
- Samuel J. Wood Library and C.V. Starr Biomedical Information Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Melekis K, Weisse CS, Alonzo JD, Cheng A. Social Model Hospice Residential Care Homes: Whom Do They Really Serve? Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2023; 40:1317-1323. [PMID: 36599102 DOI: 10.1177/10499091221150769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most prefer to die at home, but the Medicare Hospice Benefit does not cover custodial care, making it difficult for terminally ill patients with housing insecurity and/or caregiver instability to access hospice care at home. OBJECTIVES To examine the characteristics of patients who received end-of-life care in community-run, residential care homes (RCHs) operating under the social model hospice. METHODS A retrospective chart review of 500 residents who were admitted to one of three RCHs in Upstate New York over a 15-year period (2004-2019). RESULTS Patients served by the RCHs included 318 (63.6%) women and 182 (36.4%) men aged 34-101 (M = 77.8). The majority (94.9%) were Caucasian and most had cancer diagnoses (71.6%). Prior to admission, most (93%) patients resided in a private residence, and nearly half (47%) lived alone, but most (81.7%) had full- or part-time caregivers. Nearly all patients were admitted either directly from a hospital (47.5%) or private home (47.2%). Over half (52%) were admitted to RCHs within a month of hospice enrollment, and 20.1% enrolled concurrent with admission. While the average length of stay was 21 days, 50% died within 10 days of admission. CONCLUSIONS Community-run RCHs represent a unique approach for improving access to hospice home care for patients with home insecurity and/or caregiver instability, yet most patients had prior caregiver coverage and were admitted from a hospital or home setting, suggesting there is a need for community care settings for patients unable to remain at home in the final weeks or days prior to death.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Melekis
- Department of Social Work, University of Vermont College of Education and Social Services, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Carol S Weisse
- Department of Psychology, Union College, Schenectady, NY, USA
| | | | - Alice Cheng
- Leadership in Medicine Program, Union College, Schenectady, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Kelly BC, Hanson HA, Utz RL, Hollingshaus MS, Meeks H, Tay DL, Ellington L, Stephens CE, Ornstein KA, Smith KR. Disparities and determinants of place of death: Insights from the Utah Population Database. DEATH STUDIES 2023; 48:663-675. [PMID: 37676820 PMCID: PMC11119959 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2023.2255864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
To better understand determinants and potential disparities in end of life, we model decedents' place of death with explanatory variables describing familial, social, and economic resources. A retrospective cohort of 204,041 decedents and their family members are drawn from the Utah Population Database family caregiving dataset. Using multinomial regression, we model place of death, categorized as at home, in a hospital, in another location, or unknown. The model includes family relationship variables, sex, race and ethnicity, and a socioeconomic status score, with control variables for age at death and death year. We identified the effect of a family network of multiple caregivers, with 3+ daughters decreasing odds of a hospital death by 17 percent (OR: 0.83 [0.79, 0.87], p < 0.001). Place of death also varies significantly by race and ethnicity, with most nonwhite groups more likely to die in a hospital. These determinants may contribute to disparities in end of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brenna C Kelly
- Department of Geography, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Heidi A Hanson
- Computational Sciences and Engineering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
- Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Rebecca L Utz
- Department of Sociology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Mike S Hollingshaus
- Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Huong Meeks
- Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Djin L Tay
- College of Nursing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Lee Ellington
- College of Nursing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | | | | | - Ken R Smith
- Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Roberts HL, Bollens-Lund E, Ornstein KA, Kelley AS. Caring for aging parents in the last years of life. J Am Geriatr Soc 2023; 71:2871-2877. [PMID: 37224430 PMCID: PMC10524882 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.18415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adult children provide a large portion of end-of-life caregiving for older adults and make up the majority of caregivers for adults with dementia. Yet research has been limited to the hours of care that primary caregivers provide, neglecting the other ways adult children provide caregiving support. This study aims to describe the caregiving support adult children provide to their parents at the end of life and characterize differences by race and ethnicity and dementia status. METHODS We conducted a retrospective study using survey responses from the Health and Retirement Study between 2002 and 2018. The sample population (n = 8040) included decedents aged 65 with at least one living adult child at their time of death. Caregiving support was defined as providing financial support, providing help with basic or instrumental activities of daily living (ADLs or IADLs), or coresiding with the care recipient. Respondents were stratified by self-identified race and ethnicity as Hispanic, non-Hispanic White, or non-Hispanic Black. Respondents were further stratified by dementia and marital status. RESULTS Black and Hispanic respondents without dementia were more likely to report receiving financial help from (28.0% and 25.9%) or coresiding with their adult children (38.9% and 49.7%) compared to White respondents (15.0% receiving financial help and 23.3% coresiding) (p < 0.05). Among respondents with dementia, 47.1% of both Black and Hispanic respondents reported coresiding with their adult children, compared to only 24.6% of White respondents (p < 0.05). Notably, married Black and Hispanic respondents reported significantly higher rates of all support types compared to married White respondents (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The majority of older adults at the end of life receive some form of care and support from their adult children, with Black and Hispanic older adults receiving particularly high rates of care and support from their adult children regardless of dementia or marital status.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Harley L Roberts
- Medical Student Research Office, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Evan Bollens-Lund
- Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Katherine A Ornstein
- Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Amy S Kelley
- Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- James J. Peters VA, Bronx, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Gerlach LB, Turnwald M, Geczi K, O'Neil T, Watkins D, Bynum JPW, Maust DT. Factors Associated With Benzodiazepine and Antipsychotic Prescribing in Hospice: A Qualitative Study of Hospice Prescribers. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2023; 24:1297-1302.e1. [PMID: 37230152 PMCID: PMC10615326 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2023.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Benzodiazepine and antipsychotic medications are common components of the hospice toolkit and are routinely prescribed for behavioral symptom management at end of life. These medications have significant associated risks but, despite their frequent use, little is known about how clinicians weigh prescribing decisions for individuals in hospice. In this qualitative study, we examined the key factors that influence the decision to initiate a benzodiazepine and antipsychotic medication for management of behavioral symptoms at end of life. DESIGN A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and descriptive qualitative analysis. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS We conducted semi-structured interviews with prescribing hospice physicians and nurse practitioners working in hospice settings across the United States. METHODS Hospice clinicians were asked to describe factors that influence prescribing decisions to initiate benzodiazepine and antipsychotic medications for the management of behavioral symptoms. Data from audio-recorded sessions were transcribed, coded to identify relevant concepts, and reduced to determine major themes. RESULTS We completed 23 interviews with hospice physicians and nurse practitioners. On average, participants had worked in a hospice setting for a mean of 14.3 years (SD: 10.9); 39% had geriatrics training. Major themes related to benzodiazepine and antipsychotic prescribing were (1) caregiving factors strongly influence the use of medications, (2) patient and caregiver stigma and concerns regarding medication use limit prescribing, (3) medications are initiated to avoid hospitalization or transition to a higher level of care, and (4) nursing home hospice care brings unique challenges. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Caregiver factors and the setting of hospice care strongly influence clinician decisions to initiate benzodiazepines and antipsychotics in hospice. Caregiver education about medication use at end of life and support in managing challenging behaviors may help promote optimal prescribing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren B Gerlach
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Molly Turnwald
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kristin Geczi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Daphne Watkins
- School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Julie P W Bynum
- Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Donovan T Maust
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Mair CA, Thygesen LC, Aldridge M, Tay DL, Ornstein KA. End-of-Life Experiences Among "Kinless" Older Adults: A Nationwide Register-Based Study. J Palliat Med 2023; 26:1056-1063. [PMID: 36893217 PMCID: PMC10440640 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2022.0490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The population of older adults who are unpartnered and childless (i.e., "kinless") is increasing across the globe, and may be at risk for lower quality end-of-life (EoL) experiences due to lack of family support, assistance, and advocacy. Yet, little research exists on the EoL experiences of "kinless" older adults. Objectives: To document associations between family structure (i.e., presence or absence of partner or child) and intensity of EoL experiences (i.e., visits to medicalized settings before death). Design: The study design is a cross-sectional population-based register study of the population of Denmark. Subjects: Participants include all adults age 60 years and older who died of natural causes in Denmark from 2009 to 2016 (n = 137,599 decedents). Results: "Kinless" older adults (reference = has partner, has child) were the least likely group to visit the hospital (two or more times; odds ratio [OR] = 0.74, confidence interval [CI] = 0.70-0.77), emergency department (one or more times; OR = 0.90, CI = 0.86-0.93), and intensive care unit (one or more times; OR = 0.71, CI = 0.67-0.75) before death. Conclusions: "Kinless" older adults in Denmark were less likely to experience medically intensive care at the EoL. Further research is needed to understand factors associated with this pattern to ensure that all individuals receive high quality EoL care regardless of their family structure and family tie availability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine A. Mair
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Lau C. Thygesen
- National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Melissa Aldridge
- Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Djin L. Tay
- College of Nursing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Katherine A. Ornstein
- Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Johnson IM, Light MA. Pathways of Individuals Experiencing Serious Illness While Homeless: An Exploratory 4-Point Typology from the RASCAL-UP Study. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK IN END-OF-LIFE & PALLIATIVE CARE 2023; 19:209-228. [PMID: 37331000 DOI: 10.1080/15524256.2023.2223772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
The shifting age demographics of those experiencing homelessness in the United States expose shortcomings and barriers within homelessness response services and safety-net healthcare to address serious illness. The purpose of this study is to describe the common trajectories of patients concurrently experiencing homelessness and serious illness. As a part of the Research, Action, and Supportive Care at Later-life for Unhoused People (RASCAL-UP) study, the study uses patient charts (n = 75) from the only specialty palliative care program in the U.S. specifically for people experiencing homelessness. Through a thematic mixed-method analysis, a four-point typology of care pathways taken by people experiencing homelessness while seriously ill is introduced: (1) aging and dying-in-place within the housing care system; (2) frequent transitions during serious illness; (3) healthcare institutions as housing; and (4) housing as palliation. Implications of this exploratory typology include targeted, site-specific interventions for supporting goal-concordant patient care and assisting researchers and policy makers in appreciating heterogeneity in experience and need among older and chronically ill people experiencing homelessness and housing precarity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ian M Johnson
- University of Tennessee College of Social Work, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Starr LT, Washington K, McPhillips MV, Pitzer K, Demiris G, Oliver DP. Insomnia Symptoms Among Hospice Family Caregivers: Prevalence and Association with Caregiver Mental and Physical Health, Quality of Life, and Caregiver Burden. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2023; 40:517-528. [PMID: 35620797 PMCID: PMC9699902 DOI: 10.1177/10499091221105882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Poor sleep exacerbates mental health problems and reduces quality-of-life (QOL) but prevalence of insomnia symptoms among hospice family caregivers and associations of poor sleep with caregiver health and QOL outcomes are not known. OBJECTIVE To describe prevalence of insomnia symptoms among hospice family caregivers and compare anxiety, depression, self-rated health, QOL, and caregiver burden between hospice family caregivers with and without insomnia symptoms. METHODS Descriptive sub-study using data collected during baseline interviews of hospice family caregivers involved in a randomized clinical trial in Midwestern United States (xxxxxxxx). Caregivers were dichotomized based on Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scores (8+ indicated insomnia symptoms). RESULTS Among 57 hospice family caregivers, the mean ISI score was 8.2; nearly half (49.1%) experienced insomnia symptoms. Compared to caregivers without insomnia symptoms, caregivers with insomnia symptoms reported 2.4 times greater mean anxiety scores (4.7 vs 11.4); 3.5 times greater mean depression scores (3.1 vs 10.7); 2.1 times greater caregiver burden scores (5.6 vs 11.8); and 1.3 times lower self-rated health (3.5 vs 2.8); 1.3 times lower total QOL scores (29.3 vs 22.6); including differences in emotional QOL (7.9 vs 2.2), social QOL (7.2 vs 3.0), and physical QOL (7.4 vs 5.3). CONCLUSIONS Hospice family caregivers experience high prevalence of insomnia symptoms; caregivers with insomnia symptoms report worse anxiety, depression, caregiver burden, QOL, self-rated health. Clinicians must screen hospice caregivers for poor sleep and mental health and offer supportive interventions that improve their sleep and health. Policy makers must expand hospice benefits to better support family caregivers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren T. Starr
- NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Karla Washington
- Division of Palliative Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Miranda V. McPhillips
- NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kyle Pitzer
- Division of Palliative Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - George Demiris
- NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Debra Parker Oliver
- Division of Palliative Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Goldfarb School of Nursing, Barnes Jewish College, St. Louis, MO, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Tawil Y, Bodas M, Shaulov A, Ziv A, Kaplan G, Velan B. Agencies Displayed by Patients, Medical Teams, and Caregivers at the End of Life from the Perspectives of Family Members - A Qualitative Study. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2023:302228231166736. [PMID: 36989510 DOI: 10.1177/00302228231166736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Background: End-of-life (EoL) Care is challenging for terminally-ill patients and their caregivers. This research is aimed to examine the relational agencies of the patients, the caregivers, and the medical teams in the context of EoL care, with a particular emphasis on the caregivers. Methods: This study is based on the qualitative analysis of interviews with 12 individuals who were closely supported a loved one to their death from a terminal illness. Results: Information collected revealed several agency-related themes. Family caregivers are significant entities in managing the 'case' of a seriously ill individual. At the final or more advanced stages of the EoL process, caregivers gradually shift from a supportive role to being active agents, but not always backed by the necessary experience, knowledge, or the requisite emotional resilience. Conclusions: Based on recognizing their agentic proactivity, a clear and elaborate articulation of the family caregivers' roles is needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoel Tawil
- The Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Moran Bodas
- The Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
- The Department of Emergency and Disaster Management, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Adir Shaulov
- Department of Hematology, Hadassah Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Arnona Ziv
- The Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Giora Kaplan
- The Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Baruch Velan
- The Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Turner SG, Epps F, Li M, Leggett AN, Hu M. Validation of a Measure of Role Overload and Gains for End-of-Life Dementia Caregivers. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2023; 78:S15-S26. [PMID: 36409299 PMCID: PMC10010474 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbac145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Caregiving stress process models suggest that heterogeneous contexts differentially contribute to caregivers' experiences of role overload and gains. End-of-life (EOL) caregivers, especially EOL dementia caregivers, facing unique challenges and care tasks, may experience role overload and gains in different ways than other caregivers. This study evaluates measurement invariance of role overload and gains between EOL caregivers and non-EOL caregivers and between EOL dementia and EOL non-dementia caregivers. METHODS We utilized role gains and overload data from 1,859 family caregivers who participated in Round 7 of the National Study of Caregiving. We ran confirmatory factor analyses to investigate the factorial structure across all caregivers and then examined the structure's configural, metric, and scalar invariance between (a) EOL caregivers and non-EOL caregivers and (b) EOL dementia and EOL non-dementia caregivers. RESULTS Across the entire sample, the two-factor overload and gains model had good fit (χ 2(19) = 121.37, p < .0001; RMSEA = .053, 90% CI = [.044, .062]; CFI = .954; TLI = .932). Tests of invariance comparing EOL caregivers to non-EOL caregivers and EOL dementia caregivers to EOL non-dementia caregivers maintained configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance. Latent mean comparisons revealed that EOL caregivers had higher role overload (p = .0002), but no different role gains (p = .45), than non-EOL caregivers. Likewise, EOL dementia caregivers had higher role overload (p = .05), but no different role gains (p = .42), than EOL non-dementia caregivers. DISCUSSION Results offer both a deeper theoretical understanding of end-of-life dementia caregivers' experiences of role overload and gains, and a practical tool to measure those experiences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shelbie G Turner
- School of Social and Behavioral Health, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Fayron Epps
- Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Minghui Li
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Amanda N Leggett
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Mengyao Hu
- Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Oh A, Hunt LJ, Ritchie CS, Ornstein KA, Kelley AS, Rajagopalan S, Ankuda CK. Role of Home Health for Community-Dwelling Older Adults Near the End of Life: A Resource Beyond Hospice? J Palliat Med 2023; 26:385-392. [PMID: 36137095 PMCID: PMC9986009 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2022.0272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Medicare home health could be leveraged to care for those near the end of life (EOL), especially for those who cannot access nor desire the Medicare hospice benefit. It is unknown what role home health currently has either preceding or as an alternative to hospice use. Objective: The aim of this study is to compare populations served and visit patterns of Medicare beneficiaries receiving home health/hospice/both near the EOL. Design: Nationally representative cohort study of National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) respondents. Setting/Subjects: A total of 1,057 U.S. decedents in NHATS from 2012 to 2017 with linked Medicare claims were included in this study. Measurements: Measurements included the proportion of decedents who received home health/hospice/both/neither (yes/no) in the last six months of life (EOL) and mean number of visits by discipline (nurse/therapist [physical/occupational speech-language pathologist]/social worker/home health aide) per 30 eligible days at home for home health/hospice/both at the EOL. The primary independent variable was the clinician discipline providing services (nurse/therapist/social worker/aide). Results: In our sample, 19.9% received home health only, 25.8% hospice only, 18.8% both, and 35.6% neither at the EOL. These populations varied in their demographic, region, and clinical characteristics. Decedents who received home health only compared with hospice only were younger (44.1% over age 85 vs. 58.4%), members of a racially/ethnically diverse group (19.7% vs. 10.9%), and with less disability (37.2% required no assistance with activities of daily living vs. 22.7%), all p values <0.05. In adjusted models, those receiving home health versus hospice received similar numbers of visits per 30 days (average 5.4/30 vs. 6.6/30), while those receiving both received more visits (10.5/30). Home health provided more therapy visits, while hospice provided more social work and aide visits. Conclusions: More than one in three Medicare decedents nationwide received home health at the EOL. Home health has the potential to serve a population not reached by hospice and improve the quality of end-of-life care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Oh
- San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Nursing, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Lauren J Hunt
- Department of Physiological Nursing, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Christine S Ritchie
- The Mongan Institute and the Division of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Katherine A Ornstein
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Amy S Kelley
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Subashini Rajagopalan
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Claire K Ankuda
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Ansari-Thomas Z. Care Needs and Arrangements of Aging Immigrants in the United States. J Aging Health 2023; 35:191-208. [PMID: 35972426 DOI: 10.1177/08982643221120701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine the need for and arrangements pertaining to personal care assistance among individuals 65 and older, and how life stage at migration impacts nativity differences in aging-related care. METHODS Using data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (2001, 2004, and 2008), I examine the odds of needing care assistance, who provides care assistance, and the duration of time care assistance is needed, comparing U.S.-born individuals to migrants who arrived before age 50 ("earlier-life migrants") and those who arrived after age 50 ("later-life migrants"). RESULTS While earlier-life migrants showed similar patterns to U.S.-born, later-life migrants showed higher care needs, were more likely to receive care from an adult child, and were particularly likely to need care for longer durations compared to U.S.-born. DISCUSSION Aging later-life migrants have strikingly distinct care needs and arrangements, with implications for individual and family well-being, especially considering their barriers to public support.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zohra Ansari-Thomas
- Population Studies Center and Department of Sociology, 142839University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Abbas M, Reich AJ, Wang Y, Hu FY, Bollens-Lund E, Kelley AS, Cooper Z. The burden of pre-admission pain, depression, and caregiving on palliative care needs for seriously ill trauma patients. J Am Geriatr Soc 2023. [PMID: 36805543 PMCID: PMC10363197 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.18289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Increasing numbers of individuals admitted to hospitals for trauma are older adults, many of whom also have underlying serious illnesses. Older adults with serious illness benefit from palliative care, but the palliative care needs of seriously ill older adults with trauma have not been elucidated. We hypothesize that older adults with serious illness have a high prevalence of pain, depression, and unpaid caregiving hours before trauma admission. METHODS Using Health and Retirement Study data (2008-2018) linked to Medicare claims, we identified patients 66 years or older who met an established definition of serious illness in surgery and were admitted with trauma. Descriptive analyses were performed for baseline patient characteristics, pre-admission pain (dichotomized as none/mild vs. moderate/severe), depression (dichotomized as no, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale [CES-D] < 3 vs. yes, CES-D ≥ 3), and unpaid caregiving hours (dichotomized as low (<30 h/month), high (≥30 h/month)). RESULTS We identified 1741 patients, 67.4% were female and 86.8% White. Mean age was 83 (SD 7.5), and 60.3% had ≥4 comorbidities. The majority (62.9%) were admitted due to falls, 33.5% had isolated hip fracture. The prevalence of baseline moderate/severe pain and depression were 38.1% and 42.6%, respectively. Among the cohort, 42.2% had unpaid caregiving, of those 27.7% had ≥30 h/week of unpaid caregiving hours. CONCLUSIONS Prior to trauma admission, older adults with serious illness have a high prevalence of pain, depression, and unpaid caregiving hours. These findings may inform targeted palliative care interventions to reduce symptom burden and post-discharge healthcare utilization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Abbas
- Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Amanda Jane Reich
- Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yihan Wang
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Frances Y Hu
- Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Evan Bollens-Lund
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Amy S Kelley
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Zara Cooper
- Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Franzosa E, Kim P, Reckrey JM, Zhang M, Xu E, Aldridge MD, Federman AD, Ornstein KA. Care Disruptions and End-Of-Life Care Experiences Among Home-Based Primary Care Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York City: A Retrospective Chart Review. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2023; 40:225-234. [PMID: 35775300 PMCID: PMC9253522 DOI: 10.1177/10499091221104732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Research on deaths during COVID-19 has largely focused on hospitals and nursing homes. Less is known about medically complex patients receiving care in the community. We examined care disruptions and end-of-life experiences of homebound patients receiving home-based primary care (HBPC) in New York City during the initial 2020 COVID-19 surge. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients enrolled in Mount Sinai Visiting Doctors who died between March 1-June 30, 2020. We collected patient sociodemographic and clinical data and analyzed care disruptions and end-of-life experiences using clinical notes, informed by thematic and narrative analysis. Results: Among 1300 homebound patients, 112 (9%) died during the study period. Patients who died were more likely to be older, non-Hispanic white, and have dementia than those who survived. Thirty percent of decedents had confirmed or probable COVID-19. Fifty-eight (52%) were referred to hospice and 50 enrolled. Seventy-three percent died at home. We identified multiple intersecting disruptions in family caregiving, paid caregiving, medical supplies and services, and hospice care, as well as hospital avoidance, complicating EOL experiences. The HBPC team responded by providing clinical, logistical and emotional support to patients and families. Conclusion: Despite substantial care disruptions, the majority of patients in our study died at home with support from their HBPC team as the practice worked to manage care disruptions. Our findings suggest HBPC's multi-disciplinary, team-based model may be uniquely suited to meet the needs of the most medically and socially vulnerable older adults at end of life during public health emergencies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Franzosa
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics
and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Geriatric Research, Education, and
Clinical Center (GRECC), James J. Peters
VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Patricia Kim
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics
and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer M. Reckrey
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics
and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Meng Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emily Xu
- Department of Medical Education,
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Melissa D. Aldridge
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics
and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alex D. Federman
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics
and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Katherine A. Ornstein
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics
and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
De Roo AC, Ha J, Regenbogen SE, Hoffman GJ. Impact of Medicare eligibility on informal caregiving for surgery and stroke. Health Serv Res 2023; 58:128-139. [PMID: 35791447 PMCID: PMC9836945 DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.14019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess whether the intensity of family and friend care changes after older individuals enroll in Medicare at age 65. DATA SOURCES Health and Retirement Study survey data (1998-2018). STUDY DESIGN We compared informal care received by patients hospitalized for stroke, heart surgery, or joint surgery and who were stratified into propensity-weighted pre- and post-Medicare eligibility cohorts. A regression discontinuity design compared the self-reported likelihood of any care receipt, weekly hours of overall informal care, and intensity of informal care (hours among those receiving any care) at Medicare eligibility. DATA COLLECTION Not applicable. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS A total of 2270 individuals were included; 1674 (73.7%) stroke, 240 (10.6%) heart surgery, and 356 (15.7%) joint surgery patients. Mean (SD) care received was 20.0 (42.1) weekly hours. Of the 1214 (53.5%) patients who received informal care, the mean (SD) care receipt was 37.4 (51.7) weekly hours. Mean (SD) overall weekly care received was 23.4 (45.5), 13.9 (35.8), and 7.8 (21.6) for stroke, heart surgery, and joint surgery patients, respectively. The onset of Medicare eligibility was associated with a 13.6 percentage-point decrease in the probability of informal care received for stroke patients (p = 0.003) but not in the other acute care cohorts. Men had a 16.8 percentage-point decrease (p = 0.002) in the probability of any care receipt. CONCLUSIONS Medicare coverage was associated with a substantial decrease in family and friend caregiving use for stroke patients. Informal care may substitute for rather than complement restorative care, given that Medicare is known to expand the use of postacute care. The observed spillover effect of Medicare coverage on informal caregiving has implications for patient function and caregiver burden and should be considered in episode-based reimbursement models that alter professional rehabilitative care intensity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana C. De Roo
- Department of SurgeryUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA,Center for Healthcare Outcomes and PolicyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA,Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Jinkyung Ha
- Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, Department of MedicineUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Scott E. Regenbogen
- Department of SurgeryUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA,Center for Healthcare Outcomes and PolicyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA,Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Geoffrey J. Hoffman
- Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA,Department of Systems, Populations and LeadershipUniversity of Michigan School of NursingAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Wittenberg E, Goldsmith JV, Savage MW, Sullivan SS. Exploring Differences in Caregiver Communication in Serious Illness. J Palliat Med 2023. [PMID: 36603111 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2022.0406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Demographic factors, such as disease context and family relationships, are communication mediators and moderators; however, little is known about how understanding these factors can improve caregiver communication with providers. Recognition of communication differences among caregivers may aid the development of approaches to improve serious illness communication. Objective: To explore whether caregiver communication differs by disease context (cancer vs. dementia) and caregiver communication type (Manager, Carrier, Partner, and Lone). Caregiver communication type is based on communication patterns between the care recipient and caregiver. Design and Measurements: Caregivers of persons with cancer and/or dementia were surveyed from a U.S. national research registry website. Measures of caregiver communication included information needs, communication confidence, perception of provider understanding of the caregiver, perceived frequency of caregiver assessment, and caregiver stress. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) determined significant differences between caregiver communication (p < 0.05) based on disease context and caregiver communication type. Results: Cancer caregivers reported higher unrecognized-demanded information states (i.e., not recognizing information was needed), more communication confidence, and more frequent caregiver assessment compared to dementia caregivers. Among caregiver communication types, Manager caregiver types were more confident communicating than other caregiver types and perceived greater understanding by providers than the Lone caregiver type. Manager caregivers reported significantly less stress than other caregiver communication types. Conclusions: Understanding disease context and caregiver communication type may help improve caregiver communication with health care providers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Wittenberg
- Department of Communication Studies, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Joy V Goldsmith
- Department of Communication and Film, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Matthew W Savage
- School of Communication, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Suzanne S Sullivan
- School of Nursing, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Starr LT, Washington KT, McPhillips MV, Pitzer K, Demiris G, Oliver DP. "It was terrible, I didn't sleep for two years": A mixed methods exploration of sleep and its effects among family caregivers of in-home hospice patients at end-of-life. Palliat Med 2022; 36:1504-1521. [PMID: 36151698 PMCID: PMC10168118 DOI: 10.1177/02692163221122956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to overnight caregiving demands; exacerbation of high rates of anxiety, depression, and distress; and inadequate support, millions of family caregivers of patients receiving in-home hospice are at risk of poor sleep and negative health effects. AIM To describe sleep experiences of family caregivers of in-home hospice patients and perceptions of these experiences on caregivers' wellbeing in the context of caregiver health and live-in status. DESIGN Developed using the Symptom Management Model, this mixed methods study featured a concurrent nested design prioritizing qualitative reflexive thematic analysis. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS About 47 family caregivers of in-home hospice patients from two randomized clinical trials (NCT03712410, NCT02929108) were interviewed (United States, 2021). Anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), quality-of-life (QOL) (CQLI-R), and self-rated health and energy were reported prior to interviews. RESULTS Qualitative analysis revealed three themes: compromised sleep quality, factors influencing sleep, effects of sleep. 72.5% of hospice family caregivers described "fair" or "poor" sleep quality, with "interrupted" sleep and frequent night-waking due to "on-call" "vigilance" and anxiety. Negative effects included exhaustion, mental and physical health decline, and reduced caregiver function. Live-in caregivers reported higher mean depression scores (8.4 vs 4.3, p = 0.08), higher mean anxiety scores (7.7 vs 3.3, p = 0.06), and lower mean QOL scores (24.8 vs 33.6, p < 0.001) than live-out caregivers. Anxiety, depression, and QOL worsened as self-reported caregiver sleep quality decreased. Few caregivers had adequate support. CONCLUSION End-of-life family caregivers experience disrupted sleep with negative effects and inadequate support. Clinicians must assess sleep, offer sleep interventions, and provide more supports to hospice family caregivers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren T Starr
- NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Karla T Washington
- Division of Palliative Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Miranda V McPhillips
- NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kyle Pitzer
- Division of Palliative Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - George Demiris
- NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Debra Parker Oliver
- Division of Palliative Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Goldfarb School of Nursing, Barnes Jewish College, St. Louis, MO, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Mather H, Kleijwegt H, Bollens-Lund E, Kelley AS, Ornstein KA. Symptom Management Experience of End-of-Life Family Caregivers: A Population-Based Study. J Pain Symptom Manage 2022; 64:513-520. [PMID: 35944883 PMCID: PMC10212333 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2022.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT In the United States, 30% of all deaths occur at home. Effective symptom management is integral to quality end-of-life (EOL) care. Family caregivers play a major role in EOL symptom management. Recent federal policies emphasize the need to improve training and support for family caregivers. OBJECTIVES In a nationally representative sample: 1) Characterize the population of caregivers assisting with and reporting difficulty in symptom management at the end of life; and 2) Assess caregiver and care recipient characteristics associated with caregiver report of difficulty. METHODS Cross-sectional analysis of data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study and National Study of Caregiving. Multivariable logistic regression to assess association between care recipient and caregiver characteristics and caregiver report of difficulty. RESULTS Caregivers (n = 214) were mean age 57.1 years, 74% female, and 86% white non-Hispanic. Over 2 million family caregivers provided assistance with symptom management in the last month of life in 2017; 78% reported difficulty. Non-Hispanic Black caregivers (aOR 0.24, 95% CI 0.08-0.75), Hispanic caregivers (0.13, 0.03-0.56), and caregivers with lower than high school education (0.26, 0.11-0.63) were less likely to report difficulty. Caregivers of care recipients who received paid care (3.37, 1.30-8.69) were more likely to report difficulty. Receipt of training and support services (1.80, 0.83-3.93) and hospice (1.83, 0.82-4.07) were not associated with caregiver report of difficulty. CONCLUSION These findings underscore the need to improve training and support for family caregivers in EOL symptom management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Harriet Mather
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (H.M., H.K., E.B.L.), Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
| | - Hannah Kleijwegt
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (H.M., H.K., E.B.L.), Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Evan Bollens-Lund
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (H.M., H.K., E.B.L.), Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Amy S Kelley
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (A.S.K), Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, James J Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Katherine A Ornstein
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (K.A.O), Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine and Department of General Internal Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Xiong Z, Feng W, Li Z. Availability of family care resources, type of primary caregiving and home death among the oldest-old: A population-based retrospective cohort study in China. SSM Popul Health 2022; 20:101308. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
|
31
|
Sullivan SS, de Rosa C, Li CS, Chang YP. Dementia caregiver burdens predict overnight hospitalization and hospice utilization. Palliat Support Care 2022; 21:1-15. [PMID: 36263744 PMCID: PMC10115915 DOI: 10.1017/s1478951522001249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine sociodemographics and caregiver burdens associated with overnight hospitalization, hospice utilization, and hospitalization frequency among persons with dementia (PWD). METHODS Cross-sectional analysis of PWD (n = 899) of the National Health and Aging Trends Study linked to the National Study of Caregiving. Logistic and proportional odds regression determined the effects of caregiver burdens on overnight hospitalization, hospice use, and hospitalization frequency. Differences between PWD alive not-alive groups were compared on overnight hospitalization and frequency. RESULTS Alive PWD (n = 804) were 2.36 times more likely to have an overnight hospital stay (p = 0.004) and 1.96 times more likely to have multiple hospitalizations when caregivers found it physically difficult to provide care (p = 0.011). Decedents aged 65-74 (n = 95) were 4.55 times more likely to experience overnight hospitalizations than 85+, hospitalizations were more frequent (odds ratio [OR] = 4.84), and there was a significant difference between PWD alive/not alive groups (p = 0.035). Decedents were 5.60 times more likely to experience an overnight hospitalization when their caregivers had financial difficulty, hospitalizations were more frequent when caregivers had too much to handle (OR = 8.44) and/or no time for themselves (OR = 10.67). When caregivers had no time for themselves, a significant difference between alive/not alive groups (p = 0.018) was detected in hospitalization frequency. PWD whose caregivers had emotional difficulty helping were 5.89 times more likely to utilize hospice than caregivers who did not report emotional difficulty. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS Care transitions among PWD at the end of life are impacted by the circumstances and experiences of their caregivers. Subjective caregiver burdens represent potentially modifiable risks for undesired care transitions and opportunities for promoting hospice use. Future work is warranted to identify and address these issues as they occur.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Chin-Shang Li
- School of Nursing, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Yu-Ping Chang
- School of Nursing, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Wen FH, Chou WC, Su PJ, Hou MM, Shen WC, Hsu MH, Tang ST. Modifiable factors of depressive-symptom trajectories from caregiving through bereavement. BMC Palliat Care 2022; 21:156. [PMID: 36071421 PMCID: PMC9454199 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-022-01045-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background/purpose The purpose of this secondary-analysis study was to identify never-before-examined factors associated with distinct depressive-symptom trajectories among family caregivers from end-of-life caregiving through the first 2 bereavement years. Participants/methods Participants (N=661) were family caregivers who provided end-of-life caregiving for terminally ill cancer patients. Multinomial logistic regressions were conducted to identify modifiable factors associated with caregivers’ seven previously identified depressive-symptom trajectories: minimal-impact resilience, recovery, preloss-depressive-only, delayed symptomatic, relief, prolonged symptomatic, and chronically persistent distressed. Drawing from the stress-appraisal-coping model, modifiable time-varying factors associated with distinct depressive-symptom trajectories were examined in three domains: (1) stressors, (2) stress appraisal, and (3) available resources (internal coping capacity and external social support). Results Profound objective caregiving demands were associated with caregivers’ increased likelihood of belonging to more distressing depressive-symptom trajectories than to the minimal-impact-resilience trajectory. But, stronger negative appraisal of end-of-life caregiving increased odds of caregiver membership in preloss-depressive-only and relief trajectories over the recovery, delayed, and prolonged-symptomatic trajectories. Stronger internal coping capacity and perceived social support buffered the tremendous stress of end-of-life caregiving and permanent loss of a relative, as evidenced by higher odds of being in the minimal-impact-resilience and recovery trajectories. Conclusion Family caregivers’ distinct depressive-symptom trajectories were linked to their preloss caregiving demands, appraisal of negative caregiving impact, personal coping capacity, and perceived social support. Our results highlight actionable opportunities to improve end-of-life-care quality by boosting family caregivers’ coping capacity and enhancing their social support to help them adequately manage daily caregiving loads/burdens thus relieving the emotional toll before patient death and throughout bereavement. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12904-022-01045-9.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fur-Hsing Wen
- Department of International Business, Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Wen-Chi Chou
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC.,College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Po-Jung Su
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ming-Mo Hou
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Wen-Chi Shen
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Mei Huang Hsu
- School of Nursing, Chang Gung University, 259 Wen-Hwa 1st Road, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan, 333, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Siew Tzuh Tang
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC. .,School of Nursing, Chang Gung University, 259 Wen-Hwa 1st Road, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan, 333, Taiwan, ROC. .,Department of Nursing, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Agarwal A, Alshakhs S, Luth E, Dignam R, Reid MC, Adelman RD, Czaja SJ, Phongtankuel V. Caregiver Challenges Seen From the Perspective of Certified Home Hospice Medical Directors. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2022; 39:1023-1028. [PMID: 34866431 PMCID: PMC9167893 DOI: 10.1177/10499091211056323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Hospice medical directors (HMDs) play an important role as part of the interdisciplinary hospice team. Family caregivers (CGs) play a critical role in caring for patients receiving home hospice care. Understanding the challenges HMDs face when working with CGs is important when addressing potential gaps in care and providing quality end of life (EoL) care for the patient/CG dyad. Objectives: To understand issues HMDs encounter when working with and caring for CGs and to determine how they manage these issues in the home hospice setting. Design: Twelve semistructured phone interviews with certified HMDs were conducted. Data were analyzed using standard qualitative methods. Subjects: Participants included certified HMDs obtained from a public website. Results: Participants' responses regarding the major issues HMDs faced when working with CGs were categorized into 6 themes: (1) assessing CG competency, (2) CG financial burden, (3) physical burden of caregiving, (4) managing CG expectations, (5) CGs denial of patient's terminal condition, and (6) CGs unwilling or unable to engage with providers about their needs or the patient's needs. Conclusions: HMDs confirmed the important role CGs play in providing care to home hospice patients. Challenges faced by HMDs vary from assessing CG competency in providing care to the patient, dealing with the physical and financial toll that CGs face, and addressing CGs' expectations of hospice care. Future studies are needed to explore solutions to these issues to better support CGs in the home setting.
Collapse
|
34
|
Miller KD, Nogueira L, Devasia T, Mariotto AB, Yabroff KR, Jemal A, Kramer J, Siegel RL. Cancer treatment and survivorship statistics, 2022. CA Cancer J Clin 2022; 72:409-436. [PMID: 35736631 DOI: 10.3322/caac.21731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 842] [Impact Index Per Article: 421.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The number of cancer survivors continues to increase in the United States due to the growth and aging of the population as well as advances in early detection and treatment. To assist the public health community in better serving these individuals, the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute collaborate triennially to estimate cancer prevalence in the United States using incidence and survival data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registries, vital statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, and population projections from the US Census Bureau. Current treatment patterns based on information in the National Cancer Database are presented for the most prevalent cancer types by race, and cancer-related and treatment-related side-effects are also briefly described. More than 18 million Americans (8.3 million males and 9.7 million females) with a history of cancer were alive on January 1, 2022. The 3 most prevalent cancers are prostate (3,523,230), melanoma of the skin (760,640), and colon and rectum (726,450) among males and breast (4,055,770), uterine corpus (891,560), and thyroid (823,800) among females. More than one-half (53%) of survivors were diagnosed within the past 10 years, and two-thirds (67%) were aged 65 years or older. One of the largest racial disparities in treatment is for rectal cancer, for which 41% of Black patients with stage I disease receive proctectomy or proctocolectomy compared to 66% of White patients. Surgical receipt is also substantially lower among Black patients with non-small cell lung cancer, 49% for stages I-II and 16% for stage III versus 55% and 22% for White patients, respectively. These treatment disparities are exacerbated by the fact that Black patients continue to be less likely to be diagnosed with stage I disease than White patients for most cancers, with some of the largest disparities for female breast (53% vs 68%) and endometrial (59% vs 73%). Although there are a growing number of tools that can assist patients, caregivers, and clinicians in navigating the various phases of cancer survivorship, further evidence-based strategies and equitable access to available resources are needed to mitigate disparities for communities of color and optimize care for people with a history of cancer. CA Cancer J Clin. 2022;72:409-436.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Leticia Nogueira
- Health Services Research, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Theresa Devasia
- Data Analytics Branch, Surveillance Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Angela B Mariotto
- Surveillance Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - K Robin Yabroff
- Health Services Research, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Ahmedin Jemal
- Surveillance and Health Equity Science, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Joan Kramer
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Rebecca L Siegel
- Surveillance Research, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Sullivan SS, Bo W, Li CS, Xu W, Chang YP. Predicting Hospice Transitions in Dementia Caregiving Dyads: An Exploratory Machine Learning Approach. Innov Aging 2022; 6:igac051. [PMID: 36452051 PMCID: PMC9701063 DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igac051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives Hospice programs assist people with serious illness and their caregivers with aging in place, avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations, and remaining at home through the end-of-life. While evidence is emerging of the myriad of factors influencing end-of-life care transitions among persons living with dementia, current research is primarily cross- sectional and does not account for the effect that changes over time have on hospice care uptake, access, and equity within dyads. Research Design and Methods Secondary data analysis linking the National Health and Aging Trends Study to the National Study of Caregiving investigating important social determinants of health and quality-of-life factors of persons living with dementia and their primary caregivers (n = 117) on hospice utilization over 3 years (2015-2018). We employ cutting-edge machine learning approaches (correlation matrix analysis, principal component analysis, random forest [RF], and information gain ratio [IGR]). Results IGR indicators of hospice use include persons living with dementia having diabetes, a regular physician, a good memory rating, not relying on food stamps, not having chewing or swallowing problems, and whether health prevents them from enjoying life (accuracy = 0.685; sensitivity = 0.824; specificity = 0.537; area under the curve (AUC) = 0.743). RF indicates primary caregivers' age, and the person living with dementia's income, census division, number of days help provided by caregiver per month, and whether health prevents them from enjoying life predicts hospice use (accuracy = 0.624; sensitivity = 0.713; specificity = 0.557; AUC = 0.703). Discussion and Implications Our exploratory models create a starting point for the future development of precision health approaches that may be integrated into learning health systems that prompt providers with actionable information about who may benefit from discussions around serious illness goals-for-care. Future work is necessary to investigate those not considered in this study-that is, persons living with dementia who do not use hospice care so additional insights can be gathered around barriers to care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Wei Bo
- Department of Computer Science Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Chin-Shang Li
- School of Nursing, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Wenyao Xu
- Department of Computer Science Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Yu-Ping Chang
- School of Nursing, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Size and characteristics of family caregiving for people with serious illness: A population-based survey. Palliat Support Care 2022:1-10. [PMID: 35942630 DOI: 10.1017/s1478951522001079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Family caregivers play a vital role in care for people with serious illness. Reliable population-level information on family caregiving is scarce. We describe the socio-demographic and family caregiving characteristics and experiences of family caregivers of people with serious illness in the adult population. METHOD We performed a secondary analysis of the cross-sectional population-based 19th Social-Cultural Changes survey. A random sample of 2,581 Dutch-speaking people aged 18-95, living in Flanders or Brussels, were contacted for participation in the survey between March and July 2014 using a stratified two-step sample. Differences between groups are described using Pearson chi-square tests and analysis of variance. RESULTS Response rate was 58.7% (1,515/2,581). Over a 12-month period, 7.6% of respondents provided family care for someone with a serious illness (n = 114). They were most often aged 55-74 (36.0%), women (57.9%), worked full-time (42.3%); 31.8% provided at least 10 h of family care each week. Family caregivers of people with serious illness, compared with family caregivers of people with other conditions, provided more medical and nursing care (33.3% vs. 22.5%, p = 0.027), and experienced a higher burden of family caregiving (p = 0.038) but a similarly high meaningfulness of family caregiving. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS A considerable part of the adult working population provides family care for someone with serious illness. While family caregiving for someone with serious illness shows similarities with family caregiving for people with other conditions in terms of caregiver characteristics and the impact of caregiving on work-life balance and the meaning derived from it, it is also associated with increased burden.
Collapse
|
37
|
Ankuda CK, Moreno J, Teno JM, Aldridge MD. Transitions from Home Health to Hospice: The Role of Agency Affiliation. J Palliat Med 2022; 25:873-879. [PMID: 34964665 PMCID: PMC9360178 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2021.0390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Home health agencies (HHAs) are often affiliated with hospice agencies and commonly care for patients with serious illness within the Medicare program. HHAs may therefore provide a potential opportunity to facilitate timely referral to hospice when appropriate. Objectives: To determine if patients cared for by HHAs affiliated with hospice agencies experience differential hospice use and care patterns. Design: Nationally representative cohort study. Setting/Subjects: 1431 decedents in the 2002 to 2017 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey who received home health in the last year of life in the United States. Measurements: Primary independent variable was HHA hospice affiliation. Primary dependent variable was hospice enrollment; secondary dependent variables were hospice live discharge and length of stay. Results: The 27.3% of decedents cared for by a HHA affiliated with a hospice had greater education levels and wealth and were more likely to live in the Midwest and Northeast. In adjusted models, HHA-hospice affiliated decedents had greater odds of enrolling in hospice compared to those cared for by HHAs not affiliated with a hospice, corresponding to a hospice enrollment rate of 51.0% for those cared for by HHAs affiliated with hospices versus 39.7% for HHAs not affiliated (p = 0.004). There were no differences in hospice length of stay or live discharge rate by hospice affiliation. Conclusion: Medicare beneficiaries cared for by HHAs affiliated with hospices are more likely to enroll in hospice at the end of life. This has implications for improving hospice access through home health incentives and models of care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claire K. Ankuda
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jaison Moreno
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Joan M. Teno
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Melissa D. Aldridge
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), James J Peters Bronx Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Liu B, Kent EE, Dionne-Odom JN, Alpert N, Ornstein KA. A national profile of health-focused caregiving activities prior to a new cancer diagnosis. J Geriatr Oncol 2022; 13:454-461. [PMID: 34801426 PMCID: PMC9058151 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgo.2021.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about how unpaid family caregivers may already be engaged in caregiving activities prior to their care recipient's cancer diagnosis. We examined pre-cancer diagnosis caregiving patterns and their association with caregiving strain. METHODS We conducted a population-based analysis of 2011-2017 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) linked with the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) and Medicare claims data. Latent class analysis was used to examine patterns of 16 health-focused caregiving tasks (e.g., tracking medications, making appointments) of family caregivers assisting adults ≥65 years prior to an incident cancer diagnosis. High caregiving strain was defined as a total score ≥ 85th percentile of 6 caregiving strain items (e.g., financial difficulty, no time for self). Association between caregiving patterns and strain were examined using multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for care recipient and caregiver characteristics. RESULTS An estimated 4.2 million caregivers cared for older adults prior to care recipients' new cancer diagnoses during 2011-2017. They engaged in a median of four health-focused caregiving activities. Nearly 1-in-5 (18.7%) pre-cancer caregivers had high caregiving strain. Caregivers were classified into 3 health-focused caregiving activity classes: Low-level (41.2%), Moderate-coordination (29.3%), and High-intensity (29.4%). Higher caregiving activity was associated with higher caregiving strain (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 3.85, 95% CI: 2.34-6.33). Caregivers in the High-intensity class had the highest caregiving strain (39.9%), and included more spouses (28.1% vs <18%). CONCLUSION One-third of U.S. caregivers who help older adults prior to their cancer diagnoses are already highly strained and engaged in high-level health-focused caregiving tasks. Oncology clinicians should assess the capacity and strain of family caregivers who may already be supporting patients with new cancer diagnoses and refer caregivers to additional supportive care services.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bian Liu
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America; Institute for Translational Epidemiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America; Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America.
| | - Erin E Kent
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - J Nicholas Dionne-Odom
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America; Center for Palliative and Supportive Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
| | - Naomi Alpert
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America; Institute for Translational Epidemiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Katherine A Ornstein
- Institute for Translational Epidemiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America; Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Reckrey JM, Ornstein KA, McKendrick K, Tsui EK, Morrison RS, Aldridge M. Receipt of Hospice Aide Visits Among Medicare Beneficiaries Receiving Home Hospice Care. J Pain Symptom Manage 2022; 63:503-511. [PMID: 34954065 PMCID: PMC8930441 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2021.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Hospice aides provide essential direct care to hospice patients, yet there is minimal research examining hospice aide visits. OBJECTIVES describe the prevalence and frequency of hospice aide visits, and 2) evaluate patient, community, and hospice characteristics associated with these visits. METHODS Longitudinal cohort study of Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) participants who died between 2010-2018 and received routine hospice care in the 6 months prior to death (n = 674). We characterized prevalence and frequency of hospice aide visits over time and used generalized linear modelling to identify factors associated with visits. RESULTS 64% of hospice enrollees received hospice aide visits and average visit frequency (1.3 per week) remained stable throughout enrollment. The only patient characteristic associated with receipt of hospice aide visits was primary hospice diagnosis (respiratory diagnosis vs. dementia: OR 0.372, P = 0.040). Those living in community-based residential housing and those cared for by hospices with aides employed as staff were more likely to receive any hospice aide visits (OR 2.331, P = 0.047 and OR 4.612, P = 0.002, respectively.) CONCLUSION: Hospice aide visits are a common component of hospice care, but visit frequency does not increase as death approaches. Receipt of hospice aide visits was primarily associated with community and hospice agency (rather than patient) characteristics. Future work is needed to ensure that hospice aides are integrated in the hospice interdisciplinary team and that access to hospice aide visits is meaningfully driven by patient and family needs, rather than the practice norms and business models of individual hospice agencies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Reckrey
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (J.M.R., K.A.O., K.M., R.S.M., M.A.), New York, New York.
| | - Katherine A Ornstein
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (J.M.R., K.A.O., K.M., R.S.M., M.A.), New York, New York
| | - Karen McKendrick
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (J.M.R., K.A.O., K.M., R.S.M., M.A.), New York, New York
| | - Emma K Tsui
- CUNY Graduate School of Health and Health Policy (E.K..T.), New York, New York
| | - R Sean Morrison
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (J.M.R., K.A.O., K.M., R.S.M., M.A.), New York, New York; James J. Peters VA Medical Center (R.S.M., M.A.), Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Melissa Aldridge
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (J.M.R., K.A.O., K.M., R.S.M., M.A.), New York, New York; James J. Peters VA Medical Center (R.S.M., M.A.), Bronx, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Tay DL, Ornstein KA, Meeks H, Utz RL, Smith KR, Stephens C, Hashibe M, Ellington L. Evaluation of Family Characteristics and Multiple Hospitalizations at the End of Life: Evidence from the Utah Population Database. J Palliat Med 2022; 25:376-387. [PMID: 34448596 PMCID: PMC8968848 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2021.0071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Scant research has examined the relationship between family characteristics and end-of-life (EOL) outcomes despite the importance of family at the EOL. Objectives: This study examined factors associated with the size and composition of family relationships on multiple EOL hospitalizations. Design: Retrospective analysis of the Utah Population Database, a statewide population database using linked administrative records. Setting/subjects: We identified adults who died of natural causes in Utah, United States (n = 216,913) between 1998 and 2016 and identified adult first-degree family members (n = 743,874; spouses = 13.2%; parents = 3.6%; children = 51.7%; siblings = 31.5%). Measurements: We compared demographic, socioeconomic, and death characteristics of decedents with and without first-degree family. Using logistic regression models adjusting for sex, age, race/ethnicity, marital status, comorbidity, and causes of death, we examined the association of first-degree family size and composition, on multiple hospitalizations in the last six months of life. Results: Among decedents without documented first-degree family members in Utah (16.0%), 57.7% were female and 7 in 10 were older than 70 years. Nonmarried (aOR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.88-0.92) decedents and decedents with children (aOR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.94-0.99) were less likely to have multiple EOL hospitalizations. Family size was not associated with multiple EOL hospitalizations. Conclusions: First-degree family characteristics vary at the EOL. EOL care utilization may be influenced by family characteristics-in particular, presence of a spouse. Future studies should explore how the quality of family networks, as well as extended family, impacts other EOL characteristics such as hospice and palliative care use to better understand the EOL care experience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Djin L. Tay
- College of Nursing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Katherine A. Ornstein
- Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Huong Meeks
- Utah Population Database, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Rebecca L. Utz
- Department of Sociology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Ken R. Smith
- Department of Department of Family and Consumer Studies, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Population Science, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Utah, USA
| | | | - Mia Hashibe
- Department of Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Lee Ellington
- College of Nursing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Lim AJ, Lau CYH, Cheng CY. Applying the Dual Filial Piety Model in the United States: A Comparison of Filial Piety Between Asian Americans and Caucasian Americans. Front Psychol 2022; 12:786609. [PMID: 35185688 PMCID: PMC8850268 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.786609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The definition and measurement of filial piety in existing research primarily focuses on the narrow conceptualizations of Asian filial piety, which would inflate cultural differences and undermine cultural universals in how people approach caring for their elderly parents. Employing the Dual Filial Piety Model (DFPM), this study aimed to examine the relationship between filial piety and attitude toward caring for elderly parents beyond the Asian context. In our study (N = 276), we found that reciprocal filial piety (RFP) does not differ across cultures while authoritarian filial piety (AFP) does. We also found that collectivism, rather than ethnicity, predicted RFP and AFP, which in turn predicted positive attitude toward caring for elderly parents. Our work demonstrates the cross-cultural applicability of the DFPM and highlights the universal and culture-specific aspects of filial piety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy J Lim
- Discipline of Psychology, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Clement Yong Hao Lau
- School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chi-Ying Cheng
- School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University, Singapore, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Wen FH, Chou WC, Hou MM, Su PJ, Shen WC, Chen JS, Chang WC, Hsu MH, Tang ST. Caregivers' Death-Preparedness States Impact Caregiving Outcomes and Patients' End-of-Life Care. J Pain Symptom Manage 2022; 63:199-209. [PMID: 34563630 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2021.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE Preparing family caregivers, cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally, for their relative's death is an actionable component of high-quality end-of-life care. We aimed to examine the never-before-examined associations of conjoint cognitive prognostic awareness and emotional preparedness for death with caregiving outcomes and end-of-life care received by cancer patients. DESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIPANTS/MAIN MEASURES For this longitudinal study, associations of death-preparedness states (no-death-preparedness, cognitive-death-preparedness-only, emotional-death-preparedness-only, and sufficient-death-preparedness states) with subjective caregiving burden, depressive symptoms, and quality of life (QOL) and patients' end-of-life care (chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, intensive care unit care, intubation, mechanical ventilation support, vasopressors, nasogastric tube feeding, and hospice care) were evaluated using multivariate hierarchical linear and logistic regression modeling, respectively, for 377 caregivers in cancer patients' last 6 months and 1 month, respectively. KEY RESULTS Caregivers in the cognitive-death-preparedness-only state experienced a higher level of subjective caregiving burden than those in the sufficient-death-preparedness state. Caregivers in the no-death-preparedness and cognitive-death-preparedness-only states reported significantly more depressive symptoms and worse QOL than those in the sufficient-death-preparedness state. Cancer patients with caregivers in the sufficient-death-preparedness state were less likely to receive chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy, intubation, mechanical ventilation, and nasogastric tube feeding than patients with caregivers in other death-preparedness states. However, patients' receipt of hospice care was not associated with their caregivers' death-preparedness states. CONCLUSION Family caregivers' death-preparedness states were associated with caregiving outcomes and their relative's end-of-life care. Cultivating caregivers' accurate prognostic awareness and improving their emotional preparedness for their relative's death may facilitate more favorable end-of-life-caregiving outcomes and may limit potentially nonbeneficial end-of-life care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fur-Hsing Wen
- Department of International Business (F-H.W.), Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Wen-Chi Chou
- Division of Hematology-Oncology (W-C. C, M-M.H, P.J.S., W-C.S., J.-S.C., W-C.C., S.T.T.), Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China; College of Medicine (W-C.C., J-S.C., W-C.C.), Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Ming-Mo Hou
- Division of Hematology-Oncology (W-C. C, M-M.H, P.J.S., W-C.S., J.-S.C., W-C.C., S.T.T.), Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Po-Jung Su
- Division of Hematology-Oncology (W-C. C, M-M.H, P.J.S., W-C.S., J.-S.C., W-C.C., S.T.T.), Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Wen-Chi Shen
- Division of Hematology-Oncology (W-C. C, M-M.H, P.J.S., W-C.S., J.-S.C., W-C.C., S.T.T.), Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Jen-Shi Chen
- Division of Hematology-Oncology (W-C. C, M-M.H, P.J.S., W-C.S., J.-S.C., W-C.C., S.T.T.), Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China; College of Medicine (W-C.C., J-S.C., W-C.C.), Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Wen-Cheng Chang
- Division of Hematology-Oncology (W-C. C, M-M.H, P.J.S., W-C.S., J.-S.C., W-C.C., S.T.T.), Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China; College of Medicine (W-C.C., J-S.C., W-C.C.), Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Mei Huang Hsu
- School of Nursing (M.H.H., S.T.T.), Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Siew Tzuh Tang
- Division of Hematology-Oncology (W-C. C, M-M.H, P.J.S., W-C.S., J.-S.C., W-C.C., S.T.T.), Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China; School of Nursing (M.H.H., S.T.T.), Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China; Department of Nursing (S.T.T.), Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Tay DL, Iacob E, Reblin M, Cloyes KG, Jones M, Hebdon MCT, Mooney K, Beck AC, Ellington L. What contextual factors account for anxiety and depressed mood in hospice family caregivers? Psychooncology 2022; 31:316-325. [PMID: 34510631 PMCID: PMC8818016 DOI: 10.1002/pon.5816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE End-of-life caregiving is associated with poorer mental health compared with other caregiving. The objective of this study was to examine the association between contextual characteristics and appraisal factors on family caregivers' mental health and well-being. METHODS Family hospice caregivers were recruited across four states using a non-probabilistic sampling approach. This study analyzed contextual (demographic, caregiving, economic) and appraisal factors (Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey, Zarit Burden Interview) on caregivers' anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale, and positive affect and well-being (Positive Affect and Well-being Scale). Hierarchical linear regression models were generated in SPSS version 24. RESULTS Data from 102 family caregivers were analyzed. On average, participants were 58.93 years of age (SD = 14.24), mostly female (72.55%), spouses/partners (51.96%), and non-Hispanic White (78.43%). Most (75.49%) described their financial situation as comfortable or more than adequate. Younger age (B = -0.11, 95% CI = -0.18 to -0.05) and increased caregiving burden (B = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.09 to 0.27) were associated with increased anxiety, while lower perceived financial adequacy (B = -1.19, 95% CI = -2.07 to -0.32), lower social support (B = -0.04, 95% CI = -0.06 to -0.01), and increased caregiving burden (B = 0.15, 95% CI = 0.08-0.22) were associated with worsened depression. Greater social support (B = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.05-0.14) and lower caregiving burden (B = -0.19, 95% CI = -0.32 to -0.07) were associated with greater positive affect and well-being. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest significant impact of contextual factors on mental health and well-being, and support the need for holistic assessment of hospice caregivers' wellbeing and programs and policies providing social services and economic support to caregivers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Eli Iacob
- College of Nursing, University of Utah, USA
| | - Maija Reblin
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Vermont, USA
| | | | - Miranda Jones
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Sullivan SS, Li CS, de Rosa C, Chang YP. Development of a Longitudinal Dataset of Persons With Dementia and Their Caregivers Through End-of-Life: A Statistical Analysis System Algorithm for Joining National Health and Aging Trends Study/National Study of Caregiving. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2022; 39:1052-1060. [PMID: 35041795 PMCID: PMC9289078 DOI: 10.1177/10499091211057291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) are terminal conditions impacting families and caregivers, particularly at end-of-life. Longitudinal, secondary data analyses present opportunities for insight into dementia caregiving and decision-making over time; however, joining complex datasets and preparing them for analysis poses many challenges. Objectives: To describe an approach to linking national survey data of older adults with their primary caregivers to build a prospective, longitudinal dataset, and to share the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) coding statement algorithms with other researchers. Methods: The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) are joined using a series of algorithms based on conceptual and operational definitions of dementia, primary caregivers, and the occurrence of death. A series of SAS algorithms resulting in the final longitudinal dataset was created. Results: NHATS/NSOC participants were linked using three preliminary data files (n = 12 427) and one final data join (n = 3305) over nine rounds of data collection. Presence of dementia was defined based on the indicator in the year preceding the last month-of-life (LML) interview. Primary caregivers were defined as the person providing the most frequent care over time. Additional flag variables (LML interview, dementia classification, and cohort (2011 vs 2015)) were created. The SAS algorithms are presented herein. Discussion: The SAS coding statement algorithms provide an opportunity to conduct longitudinal analysis of care for both members of the dyad in the context of dementia and end-of-life. Future research using the proposed dataset can further explore care and caregiving in these populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne S Sullivan
- School of Nursinsg, 12292University at Buffalo - South Campus, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Chin-Shang Li
- School of Nursinsg, 12292University at Buffalo - South Campus, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Cristina de Rosa
- School of Nursinsg, 12292University at Buffalo - South Campus, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Yu-Ping Chang
- School of Nursinsg, 12292University at Buffalo - South Campus, Buffalo, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Michaels J, Chen C, Ann Meeker M. Navigating the caregiving abyss: A metasynthesis of how family caregivers manage end-of-life care for older adults at home. Palliat Med 2022; 36:81-94. [PMID: 34477025 DOI: 10.1177/02692163211042999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Demographic changes (global aging, decreased fertility, increased home deaths) will present a critical need for end-of-life family caregivers of older adults at home. In order to support these family caregivers, we need to better understand their experiences, struggles, and needs. AIM To describe and explain the process of end-of-life caregiving as experienced by family caregivers of older adults residing in the home setting. DESIGN The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Metaanalysis (PRISMA) guidelines and Sandelowski and Barroso's procedural steps for a metasynthesis review guided this study. DATA SOURCES Qualitative and mixed methods literature from CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO, and EMBASE databases and information from professional organizations were reviewed for studies that focused on family caregivers providing end-of-life care to older adults residing in the home setting. RESULTS A total of 24 studies were identified. Family caregivers engaged in the process of "navigating a caregiving abyss" when providing and managing end-of-life-care for older adults at home. The "caregiving abyss" consisted of four phases: (1) managing multiple roles, (2) encountering challenges, (3) mobilizing resources, and (4) acknowledging death is near. During the process family caregivers strived to "live day by day" and "maintain normalcy" to achieve the goals of honoring life's final wishes and provide home death. CONCLUSION Family caregivers of older adults at the end of life navigate a variety of challenges. The findings provide a conceptual framework to help guide the development of education, interventions, and health policy to meet family caregivers' needs in providing quality end-of-life care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Michaels
- School of Nursing, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Chiahui Chen
- School of Nursing, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Mary Ann Meeker
- School of Nursing, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Hülür G, Elayoubi J, Nelson ME, Haley WE. Change in Episodic Memory With Spousal Loss: The Role of Social Relationships. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2021; 77:683-694. [PMID: 34939648 PMCID: PMC8974325 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbab231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The spousal relationship is one of the most important social contexts in old age, and the loss of a spouse/partner is associated with stress and cognitive decline. In the present study, we examined whether social relationships can buffer potential negative effects of spousal loss on cognition. We examined the role of social network, social activities, and perceived deficiencies in social relationships (loneliness). METHOD We used longitudinal data between 1998 and 2012 from 2,074 participants of the Health and Retirement Study, who had experienced spousal loss during the study period. Multilevel modeling was used to examine how time-varying indicators of social network, social activities, and loneliness were related to age-related trajectories of episodic memory prior to and after spousal loss. Analyses controlled for gender, race/ethnicity, education, time-varying functional health, and being repartnered/remarried. RESULTS Having children living within 10 miles and providing help to others buffered negative effects of widowhood on episodic memory. In addition, within-person increase in providing help to others buffered against decline in episodic memory after spousal loss. Having friends in the neighborhood, more frequent social visits, providing help to others, volunteering, and lack of loneliness were related to higher episodic memory, while having relatives in the neighborhood was related to lower episodic memory. DISCUSSION Our findings suggest that social networks, social activities, and loneliness are related to levels of cognitive function at the time of spousal loss and that social relationships can buffer negative effects of spousal loss on cognitive function. Implications for future research are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gizem Hülür
- School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA,Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany,Address correspondence to: Gizem Hülür, PhD, Department of Psychology, University Bonn, Kaiser-Karl-Ring 9, 53111 Bonn, Germany. E-mail:
| | - Joanne Elayoubi
- School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Monica E Nelson
- School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - William E Haley
- School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Jung MY, Matthews A, Park C, Corte C, Gorman G, Kim S. Impact of Quality of Communication With Clinicians on Depression, Anxiety, and Quality of Life Among Korean Family Caregivers in End-of-Life Care Settings. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2021; 39:1137-1144. [PMID: 34907792 DOI: 10.1177/10499091211060509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Min Young Jung
- Department of Population Health Nursing Science, College of Nursing, 16100The University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Alicia Matthews
- Department of Population Health Nursing Science, College of Nursing, 16100The University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Chang Park
- Department of Population Health Nursing Science, College of Nursing, 16100The University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Colleen Corte
- Department of Population Health Nursing Science, College of Nursing, 16100The University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Geraldine Gorman
- Department of Population Health Nursing Science, College of Nursing, 16100The University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Sujeong Kim
- Department of Family Health Nursing, College of Nursing, 26713The Catholic University of Korea,Seocho-gu, Seoul, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Noh H, Lee HY, Lee LH, Luo Y. Awareness of Hospice Care Among Rural African-Americans: Findings From Social Determinants of Health Framework. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2021; 39:822-830. [PMID: 34856830 DOI: 10.1177/10499091211057847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Despite the need for hospice care as our society ages, adults in the U.S.'s southern rural region have limited awareness of hospice care. Objective: This study aims to assess the rate of awareness of hospice care among rural residents living in Alabama's Black Belt region and examine social determinants of health (SDH) associated with the awareness. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a convenience sample living in Alabama's Black Belt region (N = 179, age = 18-91). Participants' awareness of hospice care, demographic characteristics (ie, age and gender), and SDH (ie, financial resources strain, food insecurity, education and health literacy, social isolation, and interpersonal safety) were assessed. Lastly, a binary logistic regression was used to examine the association between SDH and hospice awareness among participants while controlling for demographic characteristics. Results: The majority of participants had heard of hospice care (n = 150, 82.1%), and older participants (50 years old or older) were more likely to report having heard of hospice care (OR = 7.35, P < 0.05). Participants reporting worries about stable housing (OR = 0.05, P < 0.05) and higher social isolation were less likely to have heard of hospice care (OR = 0.53, P < 0.05), while participants with higher health literacy had a higher likelihood to have heard of it (OR = 2.60, P < 0.01). Conclusions: Our study is the first study assessing the status of hospice awareness among residents of Alabama's Black Belt region. This study highlighted that factors including age and certain SDH (ie, housing status, health literacy, and social isolation) might be considered in the intervention to improve hospice awareness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyunjin Noh
- The University of Alabama School of Social Work, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Hee Y Lee
- The University of Alabama School of Social Work, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Lewis H Lee
- The University of Alabama School of Social Work, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Yan Luo
- The University of Alabama School of Social Work, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Tjia J, Lund JL, Mack DS, Mbrah A, Yuan Y, Chen Q, Osundolire S, McDermott CL. Methodological Challenges for Epidemiologic Studies of Deprescribing at the End of Life. CURR EPIDEMIOL REP 2021; 8:116-129. [PMID: 34722115 PMCID: PMC8553236 DOI: 10.1007/s40471-021-00264-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of Review To describe approaches to measuring deprescribing and associated outcomes in studies of patients approaching end of life (EOL). Recent Findings We reviewed studies published through 2020 that evaluated deprescribing in patients with limited life expectancy and approaching EOL. Deprescribing includes reducing the number of medications, decreasing medication dose(s), and eliminating potentially inappropriate medications. Tools such as STOPPFrail, OncPal, and the Unnecessary Drug Use Measure can facilitate deprescribing. Outcome measures vary and selection of measures should align with the operationalized deprescribing definition used by study investigators. Summary EOL deprescribing considerations include medication appropriateness in the context of patient goals for care, expected benefit from medication given life expectancy, and heightened potential for medication-related harm as death nears. Additional data are needed on how EOL deprescribing impacts patient quality of life, caregiver burden, and out-of-pocket medication-related costs to patients and caregivers. Investigators should design deprescribing studies with this information in mind.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Tjia
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, AS6-2065, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Jennifer L Lund
- Department of Epidemiology, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, UNC Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Deborah S Mack
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, AS6-2065, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Attah Mbrah
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, AS6-2065, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Yiyang Yuan
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, AS6-2065, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Qiaoxi Chen
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, AS6-2065, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Seun Osundolire
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, AS6-2065, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Cara L McDermott
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Guo JW, Reblin M, Tay D, Ellington L, Beck AC, Cloyes KG. Patterns of stress and support in social support networks of in-home hospice cancer family caregivers. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS 2021; 38:3121-3141. [PMID: 34898795 PMCID: PMC8664070 DOI: 10.1177/02654075211024743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Family caregivers of home hospice cancer patients often experience burden and distress, which can be mitigated by perceived social support. However, less attention has been paid to the non-family sources of support within social networks, or to how sources of support may also be sources of stress. We describe support and stress in social networks of hospice family caregivers and identify caregiving characteristics associated with classes identified in our data. We collected demographic and psychosocial self-report data from family caregivers providing in-home hospice care for advanced cancer patients (N = 90). Caregivers also reported perceived support and stress from specific family and non-family relationships. We identified three classes with unique patterns of stress and support within caregivers' support networks using a latent class analysis. Classes include: 1) high support, low stress across family and non-family network members ("supportive"; 53% of caregivers); 2) high support, high stress across family and non-family network ("ambivalent maximizers"; 26%); and 3) high support, high stress across family network only ("family-focused ambivalent"; 21%). Caregivers in the ambivalent maximizer class reported more burden than caregivers in the supportive class (p = .024). This is one of the first studies to systematically explore the role of non-family support, as well as how stress and support co-occur within relationships and across networks. As informal support networks of hospice family caregivers are complex and multifaceted, understanding the patterns of support and stress across various network members is essential to offer services to more effectively manage caregiver burden.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Wen Guo
- University of Utah, College of Nursing, 10 South 2000 East, Salt Lake City, UT, USA 84112
| | - Maija Reblin
- Moffitt Cancer Centre, Health Outcomes and Behavior, 12902 Magnolia Dr, Tampa, FL, USA 33612
| | - Djin Tay
- University of Utah, College of Nursing, 10 South 2000 East, Salt Lake City, UT, USA 84112
| | - Lee Ellington
- University of Utah, College of Nursing, 10 South 2000 East, Salt Lake City, UT, USA 84112
| | - Anna C. Beck
- 1. University of Utah School of Medicine, Medical Oncology, 30 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, UT, USA 84132; 2. University of Utah Health Huntsman Cancer Institute, Supportive Oncology and Survivorship, 1950 Circle of Hope, Salt Lake City, UT, USA 84112
| | - Kristin G Cloyes
- University of Utah, College of Nursing, 10 South 2000 East, Salt Lake City, UT, USA 84112
| |
Collapse
|