Predictors of Caregiver Burden in Delirium: Patient and Caregiver Factors

Categorizing national caregiver recommendations to support family caregivers and address unmet needs

BACKGROUND

Recognizing family caregivers as vital providers of long-term assistance to loved ones with chronic illness, several national organizations developed recommendations to improve support for family caregivers.

PURPOSE

This article categorizes these recommendations to advance family-centered nursing practice, develop health policies, and advocate for family caregiver support.

METHODS

Six reports of caregiver recommendations published in the United States from 2016 to 2021 were analyzed using thematic analysis.

FINDINGS

The 108 recommendations were organized into five categories: policy; caregiver assessment and support; health professional practices; public awareness; advance care planning.

DISCUSSION

Ensuring economic security, establishing a national data collection strategy, addressing caregivers' diverse needs, improving access to health care and support services, and increasing public awareness were highlighted.

CONCLUSION

The recommendations provide a roadmap for nurses at all levels of practice to advocate for a national agenda to develop, fund, and implement inclusive health care policies and interventions to address unmet caregiver needs and maximize support.

Relationship between Activities of Daily Living of Home-Based Rehabilitation Users and Caregiver Burden-Induced Depression: A Retrospective Study

This study was aimed at determining the cutoff values of activities of daily living (ADL) and the combination of related factors associated with high caregiver burden that induces depression among caregivers. The study participants included 50 pairs of home-based rehabilitation users and their primary caregivers. They were classified into two groups: high-burden and low-burden groups according to the short version of the Japanese version of the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview score of ≥13 or ≤12, respectively. The cutoff values of ADL and the combination of related factors associated with high caregiver burden were examined using the receiver operating characteristic curve and decision tree analyses. The cutoff value associated with high caregiver burden was 5 points for the controlling bladder item of the Barthel index (BI) (sensitivity: 90%, specificity: 70%). Regarding the decision tree, the controlling bladder item of BI (≤5 or 10 points) was selected as the first layer and the recipient's age (≤78 or ≥79 years) as the second layer. High caregiver burden was identified in 85.7% of the caregivers in whom the score of controlling bladder of BI was ≤5 points and the patient was aged ≤78 years. A score of ≤5 points for the controlling bladder item of BI along with young recipient age was associated with high caregiver burden that induces depression among caregivers. This approach is useful to identify caregivers with high caregiver burden who are at risk for depression.