Family Care Providers Research Articles

Family care in Germany and its gender-(un)specific patterns: an analysis using novel data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Innovation Sample

This article examines how the characteristics of people needing care determine the provision of family care and the time intensity of caring for men and women. Using novel data, we conduct linear (probability) regression models and find that women face family care demands as often as men but tend to provide more (time-intensive) care. When of retirement age, men are more likely than women to meet care needs for partners and support individuals with lower-severity care needs. Women invest more time caring for (adult) children and co-residents and on higher-severity care than men, particularly when they are of working age.

Parent Education and Counseling (PairEd-C) Intervention to Improve Family-Centered Care: Protocol for a Prospective Acceptability Study Using the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability.

Family-centered care (FCC) is an intervention approach based on a respectful relationship between family and health care providers (HCPs) to ensure the health and well-being of children and their families. Although HCPs have a better perception of FCC, the level of its implementation is low. Reasons for low implementation include limited understanding, lack of training, and lack of implementation guidelines and tools to support implementation. Thus, we developed the Parent Education and Counseling (PairEd-C) intervention to improve FCC in pediatric oncology settings and assess its acceptability. The objective of this study is to assess the prospective acceptability of the PairEd-C intervention using the theoretical framework of acceptability (TFA) in the pediatric oncology department in a tertiary hospital in Ethiopia. The study was conducted using an exploratory qualitative study design. We aimed to recruit 10 to 15 participants for the in-depth interview. The study participants were health service leaders working in child cancer, HCPs, social workers, and parents of children with cancer. The intervention was developed using the integration of the first phase of the Medical Research Council (MRC) framework for developing and testing complex interventions and the behavior change wheel (BCW) framework. The main PairEd-C intervention components align with the intervention functions of education, persuasion, training, environmental restructuring, modeling, and enablement, which were intended to improve FCC in the pediatric oncology unit by providing structured and comprehensive education and counseling of parents of children with cancer. The intervention was implemented by providing training for the health care team, facilitating discussion among HCPs and setting a shared plan, improving the commitment of the health care team, providing education for parents, improving parents' capacity to attend the intervention sessions, arranging discussion among parents of children with cancer, and provision of education and counseling on distress. The HCPs working in the unit received training on the designed intervention. The trained educators and the health care provider delivered the intervention. Data will be analyzed using deductive thematic coding with a framework analysis technique based on the 7 TFA constructs. Atlas ti. version 9 will be used for data analysis. Funding was acquired in 2017, and ethical clearance for conducting the study was obtained. We conducted the interviews with the study participants from December 2023 to January 2024. As of the acceptance of this protocol (June 2024), 12 study participants were interviewed. The data analysis process was started subsequently, and the manuscript will be completed and submitted for publication in early 2025. This acceptability study is expected to show that the designed intervention is acceptable to study participants, and the findings will be used to improve the intervention before progressing to the next step of our project. DERR1-10.2196/54914.

Patient-related factors drive high rates of reported antibiotic allergies: A qualitative study

BackgroundUnnecessary antibiotic avoidance due to allergy fears has adverse cost and health implications however, the problem is difficult to resolve because patient and provider-related factors leading to avoidance are multifactorial. We use qualitative research methods to explore patient perspectives of antibiotic allergy and testing to reach the heart of the problem. ObjectiveTo reveal factors leading patients to report antibiotic allergy, and determine what education is required to prevent the cycle of erroneous allergy reporting. MethodsThe 29 patients were a sample of convenience recruited from a tertiary public hospital in Western Australia between March 2020 until August 2020; 18 were inpatients and 11 outpatients, with a median age of 64.2 years, and 15 (55%) were female. Semi-structured interviews assessed patients’ understanding and knowledge of three topics: (1) antibiotic allergy, (2) antibiotic allergy testing, and (3) outcomes of testing. Interview transcripts underwent thematic analysis by two researchers, independently. ResultsThree main, overlapping themes emerged as influential across topics: (1) Severity of the Index Reaction, (2) Trust in family and health care providers, and (3) Health literacy. Patients were largely unaware of the benefits of confirmatory testing, and the detrimental health consequences of unnecessary avoidance. Patients displayed trust in health care providers’ expertise and assumed that medical records were accurate to prevent prescribing errors. ConclusionsThe findings provide evidence for an effective patient education strategy and highlight failures among hospital and primary health providers to recognise the potential harm of unverified antibiotic allergy. Healthcare professionals are influential at multiple steps of a patient's healthcare journey and addressing unconfirmed antibiotic allergy should be taken at each opportunity.

Comparison of In-Person and Virtual Implementations of an Obesity Prevention and Culinary Nutrition Education Program for Family Care Providers

Start Strong, a 4-week culinary nutrition education and obesity prevention program designed for rural family care providers in low-income areas of Minnesota, was initially an in-person training program and was recently adapted into a virtual version. Using a quasi-experimental design, this study examined within-group and between-group (in-person versus virtual) changes in culinary skill confidence and familiarity with food assistance programs after Start Strong participation. Additionally, we examined post-program participant experiences. The in-person program (n = 12, mean age of 45 years, September 2019) took place at community locations. The virtual program (n = 27, mean age of 41 years, Fall 2021–Winter 2022) used online learning and videoconferencing. Following data collection pre- and post-program, we used t-tests to examine within-group changes after Start Strong participation, repeated measures analysis of variance tests to compare outcomes between the in-person and virtual implementations, and Fisher’s exact test to compare post-survey outcomes. The in-person and virtual programs demonstrated similar improvements in cooking skill confidence and familiarity with food assistance programs. Compared to the virtual program, in-person participants reported significantly greater connection with other providers. This evaluation is relevant to addressing disparities in obesity prevention and provides an initial model for public health and community partnerships with ECE providers.

“It’s been a hard year”: How families who have children with disabilities and chronic health conditions experience the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundFamilies of children with disabilities and chronic health conditions experience unique challenges associated with school, therapies, and social supports. However, little is known about the COVID-19 pandemic’s influence on these families. AimsTo understand the lived experiences of families with children with disabilities and chronic health conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods and ProceduresWe gathered narrative accounts from 25 mothers of children with disabilities and chronic health conditions using individual interviews (n = 19) and one focus group (n = 6). A phenomenological approach was used to analyze the data. Outcomes and ResultsThree overarching themes were identified: isolation, connection, and thriving. Families experienced isolation due to the pandemic causing stress and poor mental health; maintained social connections with other family members, friends, and care providers using virtual platforms; and discovered unexpected benefits from the pandemic including a better understanding of their children and a slower pace of life. Conclusions and ImplicationsTherapy and support for children with disabilities and their families should prioritize reducing everyday stress, developing social connections that leverage existing networks and identify potential new ones, implementing approaches that build on children’s strengths, and maintaining choice in delivery of professional and peer-led support.

694-P: Engaging Family and Health Care Provider Stakeholders to Refine a Type 1 Diabetes Peer Mentoring Program for Equitable CGM Use

694-P: Engaging Family and Health Care Provider Stakeholders to Refine a Type 1 Diabetes Peer Mentoring Program for Equitable CGM Use

Associations Between Social Networks and COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake in 4 Rural Alabama Counties: Survey Findings.

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how vaccination decisions are influenced by misinformation, disinformation, and social pressures, leading to varied and inequitable uptake rates. In this study, we examined how COVID-19 vaccine messages received via social networks were associated with vaccine uptake in rural Alabama. From November 2021 through March 2022, we collected 700 responses to a telephone survey administered in 4 rural Alabama counties. We asked respondents to indicate whether certain social relationships (eg, family, businesses) tried to influence them to (1) obtain or (2) avoid a COVID-19 vaccine. We used χ2 tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, Mantel-Haenszel χ2 tests, and Fisher exact tests to examine the associations between vaccination status and survey responses. Respondents in majority-African American counties were significantly more likely than those in majority-White counties to have received ≥1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine (89.8% vs 72.3%; P < .001). Respondents who received ≥1 dose had a significantly higher mean age than those who had not (58.0 vs 39.0 years; P < .001). Respondents who were encouraged to get vaccinated by religious leaders were more likely to have received ≥1 dose (P = .001), and those who were encouraged to avoid vaccination by family (P = .007), friends (P = .02), coworkers (P = .003), and health care providers (P < .001) were less likely to have received ≥1 dose. Respondents with more interpersonal relationships that encouraged them to avoid vaccination were more likely to be unvaccinated (P < .001). Interpersonal relationships and demographic characteristics appeared to be important in COVID-19 vaccine decision-making in rural Alabama. Further research needs to identify how to facilitate vaccine-positive interpersonal relationships, such as peer mentoring and trusted messenger interventions.

A typology of family caregiving for older immigrants: perspectives from care receivers and care providers

PurposeAs populations are ageing and the global average life expectancy is rising, the provision of care for older people is an increasingly salient issue. This paper aims to focus on family-provided care for older immigrants, examining how older immigrants and care providers experience and construct family caregiving.Design/methodology/approachBased on interviews with care recipients, family care providers, municipal staff and representatives for migrant organisations in Sweden, this study presents a typology of family caregiving for older immigrants.FindingsThe authors found three caregiving types, namely, solely family-provided care and a combination of family care and public care (predominantly one or the other). The decision to select family-provided or publicly-funded care depends on personal and institutional factors.Originality/valueThe paper makes three empirical contributions to the literature on care provision for older immigrants. Firstly, this study provides insights into the structural and personal factors that shape care-giving arrangements for older immigrants. Secondly, this study examines the perspectives of care recipients and care providers on family-provided care. Care expectations differ between both groups and sometimes result in intergenerational disagreement. Thirdly, in terms of institutional support, this study finds that the Swedish state’s notion of individual needs does not match the needs of immigrant elderly and their caregivers. The paper places the care types in a broader discussion about eldercare provision in the Swedish welfare state, which has experienced a decline in publicly funded care services and an increase in family caregiving in the past 30 years. In addition, it addresses questions of dignified ageing from a minority perspective.

BEYOND LIMITS: SIX YEARS OF COMMUNITY-BASED PALLIATIVE CARE EFFORTS FOR A CHILD WITH SPINAL MUSCULAR ATROPHY (SMA) TYPE-1

Purpose: Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a rare neuromuscular disease that results in muscle weakness and atrophy, where symptoms appear at the first six months of life and most die by two years. Pediatric palliative care (PPC) prevents and relieves suffering in children with life-threatening illnesses. The study aims to enumerate the challenges encountered in rendering PPC for a child with SMA Type I and describe the best available community-based PPC practices in a resource-limited country. Case Description: CM was referred to community-based PPC when she was 15 months old. At that time, she needed respiratory aid via ventilator through tracheostomy, feeding aid via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube, and she was confined to bed. She was taken cared for by the PPC team for six years and nine months delivered through home visits and continued through telemedicine during the pandemic. The care team comprises doctors, nurses, physical therapists, social workers, counselor, and administrative support. Outcomes: Upon referral to PPC, examinations were conducted on biological, social, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Interprofessional goal setting yielded the following consensual goals: Provide adequate control for impairments and optimum nutritional support, assist with family's needs, maintain a sense of peace among family members and care providers, and achieve the best possible quality of life. Interventions were based on the biopsychosocial-spiritual model (BSM) delivered across professions. The care team initiated creative ways to convert limited resources to optimum PPC. Throughout the provision of best available care to CM, the set goals were generally achieved, with positive feedback from the family and the benefit of surpassing the patient’s life expectancy. Conclusion: Children with conditions like SMA-Type 1 and their families may benefit from PPC employing a BSM approach.

Psychiatric Home-Visiting Nurses' Views on the Care Information Required of Psychiatric Hospital Nurses.

The "construction of a community-based comprehensive care system for mental disorders" has been promoted in Japan. However, nurses in psychiatric hospitals do not intervene with community resources and support networks in Japan. This study aimed to determine the care information required by home visit nurses from psychiatric hospital nurses. A qualitative descriptive research design was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine psychiatric home-visiting nurses, and content analysis was performed to analyze the data. Findings revealed 319 narratives about the information that psychiatric home-visiting nurses seek from psychiatric hospital nurses, which were classified into six main categories. Information needed for home-visiting nurses to provide care includes the following : 1) to build trust with home-visiting service users, 2) to help home-visiting service users live according to their wishes, 3) to help home-visiting service users continue treatment in the community, 4) to perform symptom management, 5) to provide family care, and 6) to protect the safety of home visiting nurses during home visits. Nurses in psychiatric hospitals should communicate this information to nurses who provide psychiatric home care. This will improve the quality of continuing care for home care users and support their recovery in community living. J. Med. Invest. 71 : 162-168, February, 2024.

Shared decision making in integrated complex youth care

Introduction: Families with multiple and enduring problems receive care from various care providers. There is a focus on different areas of life, such as mental health, parenting, financial and social problems. However, due to insufficient coherence and coordination in the care process and fragmentation of services, the support provided often fails to match what a family really needs and wants (Nooteboom et al., 2021). An integrated approach in which the various family members and professionals collaboratively decide on the most adequate care on various life domains is essential to provide families with matching and coherent care. Shared decision making (SDM) can ensure a family-centered approach and family’s active involvement in decision making (Pii et al., 2020). However, the complexity of problems and multiple stakeholder involvement of youth, parents and professionals impact the SDM process, leading to specific needs and preferences in SDM. In this qualitative study we explored the perspectives of families and professionals on essential elements of SDM in integrated complex youth care.&#x0D; Method: In this participatory action research project, we worked with families and professionals from Specialist Integrated Teams (SIT). In these teams professionals from different youth and adult care services and with various areas of expertise collaboratively deliver care to families with multiple and enduring problems. Data were collected through (1) semi-structured interviews with youth, parents and professionals and (2) observations of SIT case meetings. Professionals and a parent with experiential knowledge worked as co-researchers. Through learning sessions with parents, youth, professionals and policymakers, the data collected were validated and further deepened. Makoul and Clayman's SDM model of essential elements forms the frame for data analysis (Makoul &amp; Clayman, 2006). Using the qualitative method of abduction, we studied both the practical implementation of this model with families with multiple and enduring problems, and elements not included in the existing model that families and professionals consider essential.&#x0D; Preliminary results: Final results will be presented at the conference after further analyses. First rounds of coding shows that the essential elements of SDM are implemented adapted to families with multiple and enduring problems. Shared decisions are achieved through (1) a broad view on multiple family members and professionals, different life domains and both the short and long term of decisions, (2) matching the family’s pace and rhythm, (3) constantly balancing the professional and family roles in decision making, and (4) parallel processes of decision-making between professionals and with the family. Building trust through open and equal relationships appears to be a key element to fluent decision-making.&#x0D; Conclusion: In integrated complex youth care the known essential elements of SDM are realized at a different pace and in continuous coherence. Professionals must consider a broad view on multiple family members, life domains and care providers, a continuous and cyclical process of larger and smaller decisions, and take time to build collaborative relationships and trust with families and the care network. &#x0D; In further analyses, we focus on facilitators and barriers in SDM with families with multiple and enduring problems.

PREPARING FOR ADVANCING ILLNESS AND END OF LIFE WITH DEMENTIA

Abstract Dementia involves coping with advancing illness that involves cognitive and functional decline. Also decision-making capacity diminishes, which implies that preparing for a future and taking opportunities to exercise individual and relational autonomy is particularly relevant in the case of dementia. Engaging the person with dementia and family caregivers meaningfully in formal or informal advance care planning conversations may require addressing specific challenges. Health care providers often lack time or are reluctant to broach these conversations. Often conversations are delayed even in institutional long-term care settings as residents, their family caregivers and care providers may all view advance care planning as uncomfortable and difficult to initiate. Special support for health care providers to develop skills, confidence and taking initiative is needed. This symposium presents about new, large qualitative and quantitative studies with contributions from the UK and Canada, and international work. It addresses preparing for an uncertain future through advance care planning and decision making about future care and treatment which may include conversations about the end of life. We present and evaluate tools to support the process across settings.

Community-Based Doulas' Roles Within the Birth Support System: Young Black Mothers' Perspectives.

Doulas have been found to be beneficial to pregnant adolescents during childbirth, but little is known about their role within the larger system of people providing birth support, including family and health care providers. The purpose of this study was to examine, from the perspectives of young mothers, the role of the doula within their broader birth support system. One hundred pregnant Black adolescents and young women (aged 13 to 21) who were provided perinatal community-based and racially concordant doula services at no cost to them were interviewed after the birth of their newborn, prior to hospital discharge. Interviews generated birth story narratives and responses to focused questions about their experiences of birth support. Thematic analysis was conducted to examine the role of the doula within the context of the broader system of birth support. Doulas functioned in 2 primary ways within the birth support system by (1) providing tandem support alongside family and health care providers and (2) filling gaps in health care not provided by family and providers. Laboring adolescents sometimes described their family members and doulas working in tandem to provide multiple types of support such as comfort measures, coaching, and help with pushing. They also identified gaps in their care or support filled by the doula, in particular gaps due to family members' physical or emotional unavailability or health care providers' many responsibilities. The findings highlight the ways in which doulas support pregnant adolescents during childbirth through their deft navigation of the existing support system. Well-being was enhanced by the inclusion of the doula in the birth support system. The findings align with existing research that underscores the valuable role doulas play in supporting individuals during childbirth, particularly for those most affected by processes of marginalization.

Suicides in India

Introduction: Suicide is a mortality contributor to a major extent among young and economically productive populations. Current study aims to analyze the trend, causes, and modalities of suicides in India over the last decade. Methods: Retrospective observational study based on analysis of secondary data compiled from the National Crime Records Bureau, which is a national database maintained by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Results: The study included data related to suicides in India from 2012-2021. An increase in the number of suicides was noted from 135445 in 2012 to 164033 in 2021. The most common approach to committing suicide was found to be hanging over the years, increasing from 37% in 2012 to 57.05% in 2021. Persons resorting to poisoning, self-immolation, drowning, and coming under running vehicles have decreased from 2012-2021. The majority of suicide victims contributed to 65.31% and 72.53% of suicides in 2012and 2021, respectively. The highest percentage of suicide victims over the years was found to be the age group of 18-30 years (34%) which is closely followed by the 30-45 years age group. Family problems have been the most common cause of suicide from 2012 (25.6%) to 2021 (33.2%), with a very slight decrease from 20.8% in 2012 to 18.6% in 2021. Conclusion: The burden of suicide has not shown any decline in last decade. There is a need for multisectoral intervention to reduce the burden of suicides, involving all the stakeholders, including government, family, community, educational institutions, and health care providers. Keywords: Suicide, Suicide Rate, Public Health, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Secondary Data.

Family engagement in paediatric acute care settings: A realist review.

To create a programme theory of family engagement in paediatric acute care to explicate the relationships between contexts and mechanisms of family engagement that align with family, direct care providers and healthcare organization outcomes. Realist review and synthesis. PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Web of Science searches for the 2.5-year period (July 2019-December 2021) following our 2021 scoping review. Following methods described by Pawson and Rycroft-Malone, we defined the scope of the review, searched for and appraised the evidence, extracted and synthesized study findings and developed a supporting narrative of our results. Of 316 initial citations, 101 were included in our synthesis of the final programme theory. Contexts included family and direct care provider individualism, and the organizational care philosophy and environment. Mechanisms were family presence, family enactment of a role in the child's care, direct care providers facilitating a family role in the child's care, unit/organizational promotion of a family role, relationship building and mutually beneficial partnerships. Outcomes were largely family-focussed, with a paucity of organizational outcomes studied. We identified four context-mechanism-outcome configurations. This realist review uncovered underlying contexts and mechanisms between patients, direct care providers and organizations in the family engagement process and key components of a mutually beneficial partnership. Given that successful family engagement requires direct care provider and organizational support, future research should expand beyond family outcomes to include direct care providers, particularly nurses and healthcare organization outcomes. The final programme theory of family engagement in paediatric acute care provides a roadmap for clinicians to develop complex interventions to engage families and evaluate their impact. The components of our final programme theory reflect family engagement concepts that have been evolving for decades. The team conducting this review included members from the practice setting (JT & KG). In the future, as we and others use this model in practice, we will seek input for refinement from clinicians, patients and caregivers.

Trade-offs in intergenerational family care provision

Trade-offs in intergenerational family care provision

Mental health and self-rated health of older carers during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from England

Objectives Older carers play a vital role supporting population health and protecting health and social care systems, yet there has been little research on understanding the effect of the pandemic on this group. In this paper, we investigate caring as a factor contributing to mental and self-rated health. Methods We investigate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between provision of family care and mental health and wellbeing using longitudinal data from 5,149 members of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing who responded to Wave 9 (2018/2019) and two COVID-19 sub-studies (June/July 2020; November/December 2020). We use logistic or linear regression models depending on outcome measures, controlling for pre-pandemic socioeconomic, demographic, and health-related variables. Results Before the pandemic, 21% of respondents cared for family or friends. Older people caring for someone inside the household mostly continued to provide care during the pandemic, with more than a quarter reporting an increase in the amount of care provided. Co-resident carers were disproportionately female, older, in the lowest wealth quintile, and more likely to report disability and chronic conditions. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses suggest that, compared to those caring for people living outside the household, co-resident carers were significantly more likely to report poorer mental health and self-rated health. Conclusion The health of older carers worsened disproportionately in the first year of the pandemic, a period also characterised by disruptions to support and closure of respite services. Support for carers’ mental and physical health requires greater policy attention, especially in pandemic conditions.

MUS3E: A Mobility Ubiquitous Sensor Edge Environment for the Elderly

With the ageing of society, the number of households with older individuals or couples living alone is increasing. An “ageing-in-place” approach allows older adults to continue to live at home and receive help only when needed. However, this approach is insufficient for emergencies, such as falls, as well as for individuals with gradually deteriorating health conditions, such as frailty. Unexpected accidents significantly reduce the quality of life (QoL) of older adults. This paper proposes a new framework, the mobility ubiquitous sensor edge environment (MUS3E), to digitally transform ordinary houses to detect the movement of older individuals throughout their home environment and to notify family members and care providers of residents’ health status and safety information. The framework can be easily and inexpensively installed in any home, transforming an ordinary house into a smart home with an automated function for monitoring older residents. It uses ambient sensors such as passive infrared ray sensors to automatically measure health conditions by measuring factors such as walking speed. Residents need not interact with or control the system and can go about their daily lives. Since the sensors used in this system are mass-produced consumer products, they are inexpensive and easily replaceable, as there are many alternatives. In this study, we were able to demonstrate the practically and feasibility of this framework using a prototype that uses open architecture Internet of Things (IoT) software (Debian GNU/Linux 11, Arduino 1.8.19, ESP8266 2.7.4, ESP32 1.0.6, PubSubClient 2.8.0, ESPPerfectTime 0.3.0, mosquitto 2.0.11) components to digitally transform the living environment of older individuals.

Fall Recognition Based on an IMU Wearable Device and Fall Verification through a Smart Speaker and the IoT

A fall is one of the most devastating events that aging people can experience. Fall-related physical injuries, hospital admission, or even mortality among the elderly are all critical health issues. As the population continues to age worldwide, there is an imperative need to develop fall detection systems. We propose a system for the recognition and verification of falls based on a chest-worn wearable device, which can be used for elderly health institutions or home care. The wearable device utilizes a built-in three-axis accelerometer and gyroscope in the nine-axis inertial sensor to determine the user’s postures, such as standing, sitting, and lying down. The resultant force was obtained by calculation with three-axis acceleration. Integration of three-axis acceleration and a three-axis gyroscope can obtain a pitch angle through the gradient descent algorithm. The height value was converted from a barometer. Integration of the pitch angle with the height value can determine the behavior state including sitting down, standing up, walking, lying down, and falling. In our study, we can clearly determine the direction of the fall. Acceleration changes during the fall can determine the force of the impact. Furthermore, with the IoT (Internet of Things) and smart speakers, we can verify whether the user has fallen by asking from smart speakers. In this study, posture determination is operated directly on the wearable device through the state machine. The ability to recognize and report a fall event in real-time can help to lessen the response time of a caregiver. The family members or care provider monitor, in real-time, the user’s current posture via a mobile device app or internet webpage. All collected data supports subsequent medical evaluation and further intervention.

Addressing loneliness among people living with dementia: The key features of personal contact interventions

AbstractBackgroundInterventions to address loneliness among older adults have been developed which target modifiable influencing factors of social contact, social participation, and social support. However, few interventions have been designed specifically to address loneliness for use with people living with dementia. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify key features of personal contact interventions for use with people living with dementia.MethodThis was a mixed methods (concurrent triangulation) design using a convenience sample of family, friends, and health care providers of people living with dementia (n = 25). In face‐to‐face sessions, participants were read a short description of two personal contact interventions: an animal contact and a human contact intervention. They completed questionnaires to rate acceptability (adapted Treatment Perception and Preference measure), followed by semi‐structured interviews to explore their perspectives in‐depth. Descriptive statistics and conventional content analysis were completed, and themes from the qualitative analysis were emphasized in the interpretation of results.ResultA majority (&gt;80%) of participants rated personal contact interventions, with either a human or animal visitor, as being low risk, effective, logical and suitable to address loneliness among people living with dementia. While some form of human contact was viewed as essential for every person living with dementia, appropriateness of animal contact was seen as dependent on the individual characteristics of the person living with dementia. In addition to preventing loneliness, participants highlighted that the benefits of personal contact could include promoting happiness and comfort, offering something to do, and preventing responsive behaviors. For all personal contact interventions with a human or animal, it was important to prepare the contact, focus on meaningful relationships, consider flexible program delivery options, and ensure high quality facilitation of visits.ConclusionPersonal contact with a human or animal shows promise to address loneliness experienced by people living with dementia when it is facilitated, flexible, and carefully designed to promote meaningful interactions. Future feasibility studies are needed to assess how people living with dementia experience and perceive personal contact interventions.