Caregiver Social Isolation Research Articles

Geographic distance and social isolation among family care-givers providing care to older adults in Canada

AbstractFamily care-giving is associated with social isolation, which can lead to adverse health and wellbeing outcomes among family care-givers. The role of geographic distance in care-giver social isolation (CSI) is unclear and has received mixed research findings. Framed by the Ecological Model of Caregiver Isolation, this study examined the relationship between geographic distance and CSI, including the interaction between geographic distance and care-giving intensity for CSI. Linear regression and analysis of covariance were used to test these hypotheses using a sub-set of family care-givers from the 2012 Canadian General Social Survey (N = 2,881). Care-givers living a short distance from receivers reported lower levels of social isolation than co-resident, moderate-distance and long-distance care-givers. Being involved in higher-intensity care-giving as the primary care-giver, undertaking more care-giving tasks and providing care more frequently resulted in higher CSI scores. Long- and moderate-distance care-givers reported greater CSI than co-resident and short-distance care-givers only when providing higher-intensity care-giving. Employing a granulated measure of geographic distance positioned within an ecological framework facilitates an understanding of the nuanced association between geographic proximity and CSI. Furthermore, the identified interaction effects between geographic distance and care-giving intensity on CSI further explicate the complexity of care-giving experiences. The findings are relevant for programmes supporting care-givers in different contexts, especially distance care-givers.

Geographic Distance and Social Isolation Among Family Caregivers Providing Care to Older Adults

Family caregiving is associated with social isolation, but the role of geographic distance between caregiver and receiver in caregiving experience is unclear with mixed research findings. This study examined the relationship between geographic distance and caregiver social isolation (CSI), and explored the interaction between geographic distance and caregiving intensity in association with CSI. Based on the Ecological Model of Caregiver Isolation, hierarchical linear regression and ANCOVA analyses were applied to conduct data analysis with the 2012 Canadian General Social Survey (N=2,881). Caregivers living a short distance from receivers reported the lowest CSI than coresident, moderate and long distance caregivers. Being involved in higher intensity caregiving as the primary caregiver, undertaking more caregiving tasks, and providing care more frequently resulted in higher CSI scores. Additionally, long and moderate distance caregivers reported greater CSI than coresident and short distance caregivers only when providing higher intensity caregiving. Geographic distance is a salient contextual factor affecting CSI, and longer distance creates environmental barriers for caregiving provision. Employing a granulated measure of geographic distance positioned within an ecological framework facilitates an understanding of the nuanced association between geographic proximity and CSI. Furthermore, the identified interactive effects between geographic distance and caregiving intensity on CSI further reveal the complexity of caregiving experience. The findings are relevant for programs supporting caregivers in different contexts, especially physical distance.

THE EFFECT OF ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING ON FAMILY CAREGIVER SOCIAL ISOLATION

Social isolation has been shown to associate with negative health outcomes including depression and stress. For family caregivers of older adults, the demands on the caregiver often are associated with increasing feelings of loneliness and decreased social contact. The degree to which the caregiver’s social isolation is related to the complexity of the caregiving situation remains unknown. Through a cross-sectional analysis of 526 family caregivers from the Family Caregiver Alliance client record database, an association has been established between care recipient functional decline and caregiver social isolation. Social isolation was measured through the Lubben Social Network Scale and functional decline was measured through ADL/IADL reporting. Covariates controlled for in the analysis included caregiver ethnicity, duration of caregiving, adult child status, caregiver education, care recipient income, and hours per week caregiving. Family caregivers of care recipients with higher functional decline experienced elevated odds of social isolation as compared to family caregivers of care recipients with little to no functional decline. The results from this study highlight the need for medical personnel and non-profit actors to anticipate social isolation as a risk factor for family caregivers of older adults given the care recipient is experiencing functional decline.

Troubled teens and challenged caregivers: Characteristics associated with the decision to provide child welfare services to adolescents in Ontario, Canada

Although studies have documented the pronounced and negative impact of adolescent maltreatment on short and long-term development, there is limited research about the risk factors and experiences of adolescents who are reported to the child welfare system. This study addresses this knowledge gap by using data from the provincially representative Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (OIS-2013) to identify the characteristics of the alleged maltreatment, functioning concerns, caregiver risk factors, and socioeconomic conditions associated with the decision to provide ongoing child welfare services to adolescents and their families. In 2013, there were an estimated 34,968 investigations of maltreatment-related concerns involving adolescents and 26.5% of these cases were transferred to ongoing services. A number of factors were associated with this decision, including: adolescents' race/ethnicity, internalizing problems, and difficulties in the quality of the relationship with their primary caregiver; investigations involving potential abandonment, exposure to intimate partner violence, and co-occurring maltreatment; and caregivers' social isolation, mental health concerns, and substance abuse. A multivariable tree-classification found that the presence of internalizing problems was a primary factor influencing the decision to provide ongoing child welfare services, followed by caregiver social isolation, relationship difficulties between the caregiver and the adolescent, caregiver mental health concerns, and co-occurring maltreatment. The results suggest that adolescents investigated by Ontario child welfare authorities are experiencing troubling circumstances coupled with their caregivers' challenges, which may be impacting their relationships to the point that it determines their need for ongoing child welfare services.

Social Isolation Among Caregivers of Court‐Involved Youths: A Qualitative Investigation

The authors used qualitative research methodology to examine the lives of caregivers of court‐involved youths. Caregiver social isolation, including overall lack of support, lack of school support, and isolation from self, emerged as a salient theme across 7 domains. Implications for counselors are discussed, and brief descriptions of several evidence‐based therapies are presented.