Abstract
Background:Post-acute home health-care (HHC) services provide a unique opportunity to train and support family caregivers of older adults returning home after a hospitalization. To enhance family-focused training and support strategies, we must first understand caregivers’ experiences.Objective:To explore caregivers’ experiences regarding training and support for managing older adults’ physical functioning (PF) needs in the post-acute HHC setting.Method:We conducted a qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured telephone interviews of 20 family caregivers. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using conventional content analysis.Results:We identified the following primary categories: facilitators to learning (eg, past experience, learning methods), barriers to learning (eg, learning on their own, communication, timing/logistics, preferred information and timing of information delivery), and interactions with HHC providers (eg, positive/negative interactions, provider training and knowledge).Conclusion:Caregivers were responsive to learning strategies to manage older adults’ PF needs and, importantly, voiced ideas to improve family-focused training and support. HHC providers can use these findings to tailor training and support of family caregivers in the post-acute HHC setting.
Highlights
Caregivers (“caregivers”) include any relative, partner, or friend with whom the care recipient is closely familiar [1,2]
The Caregiver Advise, Record, and Enable (CARE) Act requires hospitals to identify, inform, and educate caregivers during the hospital discharge process; the CARE Act is yet to be passed in all states, and it varies in its operationalization from state to state [1]
Caregivers had been caring for their family member for 14 years (SD 1⁄4 13)
Summary
Caregivers (“caregivers”) include any relative, partner, or friend with whom the care recipient is closely familiar [1,2]. Almost all caregivers of older adults provide assistance with physical functioning (PF) needs, such as mobility and self-care [3,4]. Older adults may have increased PF needs for which caregivers are unprepared, and information may be needed regarding the older adults’ medical care and how caregivers’ roles can impact patient outcomes [5]. Post-acute home health-care (HHC) services provide a unique opportunity to train and support family caregivers of older adults returning home after a hospitalization. Objective: To explore caregivers’ experiences regarding training and support for managing older adults’ physical functioning (PF) needs in the post-acute HHC setting. Conclusion: Caregivers were responsive to learning strategies to manage older adults’ PF needs and, importantly, voiced ideas to improve family-focused training and support. HHC providers can use these findings to tailor training and support of family caregivers in the post-acute HHC setting
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