Care Friends Research Articles

THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF SOCIAL ISOLATION AND LONELINESS OF FAMILY AND UNPAID CAREGIVERS OF OLDER ADULTS

Abstract The experience of caring for older relatives and friends can be socially isolating. Family and unpaid caregivers (“caregivers”) may encounter barriers to social participation (e.g., caregiving duties) and unmet needs in support. Given limited epidemiological evidence of social isolation (SI) and loneliness in this population in the U.S., we reported the prevalence and correlates of SI and loneliness in the National Study of Caregiving Round 12 (n=2,119). Most were females (62%), non-Hispanic white (69%), and had a high school education (91%). Most cared for a parent/parent-in-law (46%). Caregivers provided an average of 70 hours of care/month. On a 4-item SI scale ranging from 0 (high SI) to 4 (low SI), the mean score was 2.6. About 13% of caregivers were categorized as socially isolated. About 33% reported feeling lonely “some days,” “most days,” or “every day.” Logistic regression showed female caregivers (OR: 0.56[0.37,0.86]) and those with lower education levels (OR[college vs below high school]: 0.14[0.06,0.33]) were less likely to be socially isolated vs not isolated, controlling for other socio-demographic (e.g., age) and caregiving characteristics (e.g., hours). Adjusted ordinal logistic regression further showed SI levels among care recipients were associated with SI levels among caregivers (OR: 1.66[1.38,2.00]). Null associations were found in parallel analyses on loneliness. This study highlights the heterogeneity of SI among caregivers of older adults and the necessity of examining the shared experiences with care recipients. More comprehensive loneliness instruments in public health surveillance may advance the understanding of experiences and impacts of SI and loneliness in caregiving.

Challenges and guidance for implementing social distancing for COVID-19 in care homes: a mixed methods rapid review.

Older people living in care homes are at high risk of poor health outcomes and mortality if they contract coronavirus disease 2019. Protective measures include social distancing and isolation, although implementation is challenging. To explore the real-life experiences of social distancing and isolation in care homes for older people, and to develop a toolkit of guidance and resources. A mixed-methods, phased design. Six care homes in England caring for older adults. Care home staff (n = 31), residents (n = 17), family members (n = 17), senior health and care leaders (n = 13). A rapid review to assess the social distancing and isolation measures used by care homes to control the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 and other infectious diseases (phase 1), in-depth case studies of six care homes, involving remote individual interviews with staff, residents and families, collection of policies, protocols and routinely collected care home data, remote focus groups with senior health and care leaders (phase 2) and stakeholder workshops to co-design the toolkit (phase 3). Interview and focus group data and care home documents were analysed using thematic analysis and care home data using descriptive statistics. The rapid review of 103 records demonstrated limited empirical evidence and the limited nature of policy documentation around social distancing and isolation measures in care homes. The case studies found that social distancing and isolation measures presented moral dilemmas for staff and often were difficult, and sometimes impossible to implement. Social distancing and isolation measures made care homes feel like an institution and denied residents, staff and families of physical touch and other forms of non-verbal communication. This was particularly important for residents with cognitive impairment. Care homes developed new visiting modalities to work around social distancing measures. Residents and families valued the work of care homes to keep residents safe and support remote communication. Social distancing, isolation and related restrictions negatively impacted on residents' physical, psychological, social and cognitive well-being. There were feelings of powerlessness for families whose loved ones had moved into the care home during the pandemic. It was challenging for care homes to capture frequent updates in policy and guidance. Senior health and care leaders shared that the care home sector felt isolated from the National Health Service, communication from government was described as chaotic, and trauma was inflicted on care home staff, residents, families and friends. These multiple data sources have informed the co-design of a toolkit to care for residents, families, friends and care home staff. The review included papers published in English language only. The six care homes had a Care Quality Commission rating of either 'good' or 'outstanding'. There was a lack of ethnic diversity in resident and family participants. Care homes implemented innovative approaches to social distancing and isolation with varying degrees of success. A legacy of learning can help rebuild trust at multiple levels and address trauma-informed care for residents, families, friends and staff. Future work can include evaluation of the toolkit, research to develop a trauma-informed approach to caring for the care home sector and co-designing and evaluating an intervention to enable residents with different needs to transition to living well in a care home. This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme (NIHR award ref: NIHR132541) and is published in full in Health and Social Care Delivery Research; Vol. 12, No. 45. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Mental Health and (Online) Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain: A Network-Based Approach.

The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the increase in mortality and morbidity rates globally, but it has also led to a generalized worsening of mental health and risk behaviors in different population groups regardless of the measures adopted by different governments. In this paper, using data from a Spanish survey of emotional well-being, we aim to explore through mixed graphical models the complex structure of relationships between the mental health of populations, their lifestyles, and forms of cultural and leisure consumption during the pandemic. The results bring to light some interesting findings, such as the association between teleworking and greater rest or greater stress with the use of social media, a variable that enables the connection with other mental health problems of greater severity. Increased physical activity and the consumption of streaming content at home, as well as increased care for family, friends, and neighbors, are some of the variables that show relevant associations. These findings highlight the usefulness and versatility of this network approach for the study of health behaviors and health outcomes, which offer the researcher a holistic and organic view of the relational structure of complex data characterized by high dimensionality and variables with different levels of measurement.

Keefektifan Metode Role Play untuk Meningkatkan Pemahaman Siswa pada Mata Pelajaran Budi Pekerti Berbahasa Mandarin

Characteristics learning has the goal of imparting ethical or morals. According to the Ethics Learning theme "Chapter 12 Giving advice and Chapter 13 Caring for friends" which were covered during the research, the researcher t chose the title "The Effectiveness of the Role Play Method for Increasing Students' Understanding of the Chinese Language Ethics Subject." Data measurement uses quantitative methods. Character Building learning utilizes the Chinese language role play method to help students understand the learning theme while training them to speak Chinese confidently in front of the class. The data collected for measurement consists of quiz results completed by students. The quiz results reveal that many students have not met the competency limits. In other words, role play method in this research has not yet achieved the targeted success. The main factor that influences the success or failure of research on the role play method is insufficient practice time, preventing students to understanding and speaking fluently in Chinese during role play dialogues. What students are currently doing is still at the reading stage, their body movements do not align with the practice required by the theme.

Patient Portals Fail to Collect Structured Information About Who Else is Involved in a Person's Care.

The US health care delivery system does not systematically engage or support family or friend care partners. Meanwhile, the uptake and familiarity of portals to personal health information are increasing among patients. Technology innovations, such as shared access to the portal, use separate identity credentials to differentiate between patients and care partners. Although not well-known, or commonly used, shared access allows patients to identify who they do and do not want to be involved in their care. However, the processes for patients to grant shared access to portals are often limited or so onerous that interested patients and care partners often circumvent the process entirely. As a result, the vast majority of care partners resort to accessing portals using a patient's identity credentials-a "do-it-yourself" solution in conflict with a health systems' legal responsibility to protect patient privacy and autonomy. The personal narratives in this viewpoint (shared by permission) elaborate on quantitative studies and provide first-person snapshots of challenges faced by patients and families as they attempt to gain or grant shared access during crucial moments in their lives. As digital modalities increase patient roles in health care interactions, so does the importance of making shared access work for all stakeholders involved-patients, clinicians, and care partners. Electronic health record vendors must recognize that both patients and care partners are important users of their products, and health care organizations must acknowledge and support the critical contributions of care partners as distinct from patients.

Integrating family caregivers in older adults’ hospital stays: a needed cultural shift

ABSTRACT Objectives This study aimed to examine perceived barriers and facilitators to caregiver inclusion in the hospital care of older adult family members or friends through the perspectives of (1) hospitalized older adults, (2) caregivers of a hospitalized older adult, (3) healthcare clinicians, and (4) policymakers. Methods This qualitative descriptive exploratory study utilized semi-structured interviews with N = 24 participants and was analyzed using a framework method. Results Eight codes arose that were categorized into four domains guided by the Social Ecological Model. Individual-level factors were determined both for the caregiver and for the clinician. Relationship-level factors were revealed pertaining to communication style and method. Hospital-level factors included hospital environment and resources. Societal-level factors included healthcare climate and policies. Discussion Findings indicated that hospital workflows and policies inadequately support family caregivers. This study highlights potential solutions to caregivers’ integration into hospital workflows.

Factors Impacting Adoption of Relational Videoconference Technology by Older Adults during and After COVID-19 as Perceived by Friends and Relatives

Social networks diminish with age, increasing obligations of care and social engagement for family members and friends. COVID-19 quarantines exacerbated this scenario and accelerated adoption of relational technology among older adults. This adaptation necessitated support networks incorporating family, friends, self-support, and crucially, aging-in-place organizations like senior centers. This study surveys the viewpoints of adult relatives and friends concerning factors influencing the successful or unsuccessful integration of relational technology by older adults during and post COVID-19 quarantines. Utilizing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), this research quantifies the role of aging-in-place organizations in older adults’ behavioral intention and usage patterns regarding relational technology.

지역아동센터를 이용하는 청소년의 자존감의 이해와 영향에 관한 합의적 질적 연구

This study is a qualitative study on the self-esteem of adolescents who use local children's centers, and tried to find out in-depth what the meaning of their perceived self-esteem is and how their self-esteem is acting on life and its effect.
 To this end, 15 middle and high school students in H area located in N city were selected and conducted in-depth interviews. The data collected through in-depth interviews were analyzed by multiple researchers consisting of 4 raters and 1 supervisor according to the Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) method, and in the process of data analysis, 5 domain development, 14 categories, and 23 core concepts could be derived. As a result of the analysis according to the research questions, the basis of the self-esteem of the research participants was influenced by parental encouragement and interaction, friends' understanding and recognition, and teachers' praise and encouragement. The best of them turned out to be intimate relationships with parents. And the meaning of self-esteem perceived by the participants was recognized as a belief in loving and trusting themselves as an element necessary for growth. Participants were making various efforts to meet or repay their parents' expectations because their self-esteem was at work, and they considered it very important to take care of friends or maintain a comfortable and stable relationship. And for themselves, they had a positive appearance about living a life of academic achievement and goal achievement.

“We need a little strength as well”: Examining the social context of informal caregivers for Black women with breast cancer

Informal caregivers (e.g., partners, other family members, friends) often provide social support to Black women with breast cancer, and caregivers find both benefits and challenges in their caregiving role. In this qualitative study, twenty-four caregivers for Black women with breast cancer participated in focus groups and interviews. Participants responded to a brief close-ended questionnaire as well as semi-structured questions about their experiences as cancer caregivers. Demographic information was collected, and relationship satisfaction was measured by the Relationship Assessment Scale-General scale (RAS-G). Focus groups and interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded by two independent coders. Using an iterative, discussion-based process, the study team developed and refined themes. All caregivers described themselves as Black/African American, and the majority identified as female (79%). The mean RAS-G score was 4.5 (SD=0.5), indicating high levels of relationship satisfaction. Qualitative themes included using a range of strategies to provide emotional support; shifting between roles; needing time and space; and trying to stay strong. Several female caregivers described how the cumulative experiences of providing care for multiple family members and friends could be draining, as could their own experiences in the patient role. These findings show a complex, multilayered social context that affects both the patient-caregiver relationship and the health and wellbeing of caregivers. Clinicians providing treatment and support for Black women with breast cancer should be mindful of how the health context of the family may affect patient and caregiver outcomes.

Workforce training through massive open online courses: can education generate collective hope for better dementia care?

AbstractThe personal care workforce is generally poorly paid, often unregulated, minimally trained and unprepared for the challenges of working with people with dementia. When it comes to accredited healthcare degrees, established programs have little space to accommodate emerging health priorities, such as dementia, in an already crowded curriculum. This creates the perfect storm of a significantly unprepared healthcare workforce as we look towards an expected 139 million cases of dementia worldwide by 2050 (www.alzint.org).Could freely available, online, evidence‐based dementia care education be a solution, offering hope, knowledge and skills to carers across the globe? In 2013, the University of Tasmania launched an Understanding Dementia Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). Over 7 weeks participants increase their knowledge of dementia: its causes, symptoms and ways of responding to the needs of people living with the condition. This award‐winning MOOC has world‐leading completion rates, been rated amongst the top MOOCs of all time (Class Central), and reached over 330,000 people around the globe. As well as offering free MOOCS, there are low or no‐cost university level education options in a Diploma and Bachelor of Dementia Care. Targeted to the Australian Aged Care workforce, but open to any student, these fully online programs attract personal care workers, health professionals and family members of people living with dementia. Thousands of students have enrolled, primarily for professional and practice development reasons and to provide better care for family members or friends with dementia. These programs were created specifically for learners of all ages and from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and designed to facilitate success and progress. They are scalable and are being translated into a number of languages and cultures. With this approach, one click at a time, we offer hope through accessible education for those that need it most. In this sense, education is considered an intervention ‐ improving dementia care and awareness, decreasing stigma, and in driving a public health approach for dementia prevention.

Measuring how responsible we are – The development and validation of the personal social responsibility scale (PSRS-Q19)

The purpose of the article is to introduce the Personal Social Responsibility Scale – a tool used to measure the intensity and multidimensionality of Personal Social Responsibility, and the process of its’ creation. The authors conceptualized the scale and conducted research on a sample of 3019 people. Based on this research, a 19-question scale was built, referring to 6 dimensions of social responsibility: Self-Responsibility, Care for Natural Resources, Care for Animals, Care for Family and Friends, Care for the Future of the World, and Activism.

A Comparative Study to Assess the Prevalence, Knowledge of Impact, and Practice of Self-Medication Among Adults in Urban and Rural Communities in Bangalore.

Self-medication is the act of consuming medicines at the individual's own suggestion or recommendation by a family member, a friend, or untrained or unqualified health care personnel. Practice of self-medication differs among individuals and is influenced by several factorslike age, educational status, gender, family monthly income, level of knowledge, and non-chronic illness. This study aims to compare the prevalence, knowledge of impact, and practice of self-medication among adults in urban and rural communities. A non-experimentalcomparative study was conducted among adults in urban and rural communities practicing self-medication. In this study, the target population is aged between 21 and 60 years. The sample size is 50urban adults and 50 rural adults. A convenient sampling technique method was used. Theprevalence was assessed through a survey questionnaire. Theself-structured questionnaire was used to assess theknowledge of impact, and a non-observational checklist was used to assess thepractice which was adopted by the research investigator. The present study results showed that the majority had inadequate knowledge(88%) regarding consuming self-medication in rural adults, there was overuse of self-medication practice (64%) in rural adults, and there was moderate usage of self-medication practice (64%) in urban adults. There was a statistically significantdifference between knowledge and practice regarding self-medication among adults in urban and rural communities which was highly significant at p<0.05. In the present study, comparison of the results of knowledge of impact and practice of self-medication among urban and rural adults revealed that urban adults havebetter adequate knowledge of impact of self-medication which helps them to practice moderate usage of self-medication.

Exploring the importance of predisposing, enabling, and need factors for promoting Veteran engagement in mental health therapy for post-traumatic stress: a multiple methods study

PurposeThis study explored Veteran and family member perspectives on factors that drive post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) therapy engagement within constructs of the Andersen model of behavioral health service utilization. Despite efforts by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase mental health care access, the proportion of Veterans with PTSD who engage in PTSD therapy remains low. Support for therapy from family members and friends could improve Veteran therapy use.MethodsWe applied a multiple methods approach using data from VA administrative data and semi-structured individual interviews with Veterans and their support partners who applied to the VA Caregiver Support Program. We integrated findings from a machine learning analysis of quantitative data with findings from a qualitative analysis of the semi-structured interviews.ResultsIn quantitative models, Veteran medical need for health care use most influenced treatment initiation and retention. However, qualitative data suggested mental health symptoms combined with positive Veteran and support partner treatment attitudes motivated treatment engagement. Veterans indicated their motivation to seek treatment increased when family members perceived treatment to be of high value. Veterans who experienced poor continuity of VA care, group, and virtual treatment modalities expressed less care satisfaction. Prior marital therapy use emerged as a potentially new facilitator of PTSD treatment engagement that warrants more exploration.ConclusionsOur multiple methods findings represent Veteran and support partner perspectives and show that amid Veteran and organizational barriers to care, attitudes and support of family members and friends still matter. Family-oriented services and intervention could be a gateway to increase Veteran PTSD therapy engagement.

Self-Care as Social Crafting: Transnational Narratives During COVID-19

ABSTRACT Contrary to public health framings of self-care as individualized bodily regulation, people’s transnational COVID-19 narratives revealed self-care to be a means of crafting social relatedness. In their self-care practices, interviewees drew on their richly structured field of relations, exercised dexterity and discernment in attending to them, and forged new webs of relatedness. Moreover, some recounted moments of radical care when they disregarded bodily boundaries in co-isolating with and caring for infected friends or relatives. These narratives of caring with rather than in isolation from one’s social entanglements provide an alternative imaginary through which we can consider future pandemic responses.

Detection of emotional and behavioural changes after traumatic brain injury: A comprehensive survey

AbstractTraumatic brain injury (TBI) can affect normal brain function and may be caused by a vehicle accident, falling, and so on. The purpose of this survey is to provide clear knowledge of TBI, the causes of TBI, the impacts of TBI, and the role of family members and friends in recovery. TBI affects the daily life of the patients, both physically and mentally. After TBI, the patients may experience many emotional and behavioural changes because of a lack of certain brain functions. These changes affect their personal and social relationships. On the other hand, these changes depend on the severity of the TBI (i.e. mild, moderate, or severe), which is measured using the Glasgow coma score. Generally, three processes are used for emotion recognition: preprocessing, feature extraction, and emotion recognition. Preprocessing is performed for landmark detection and pose normalisation, which improves the performance of emotion detection. Feature extraction and emotion recognition are performed by various deep learning techniques, such as convolution neural networks and long short‐term memory. These techniques recognise the behavioural and emotional changes (depression, anxiety, anger, personality changes etc.) of TBI patients using facial expressions. Family members and friends play an important role in TBI patients' recovery, the extent of which is based on the severity of the TBI. The care of family members and friends leads to quick recovery and rehabilitation of patients from TBI. Finally, testing is performed using Computed Tomography images, Magnetic Resonance Imaging images, Electroencephalography signals, and patient demographics, which together show that the deep learning methods achieve better performance in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, and F‐measure in recognising emotional and behavioural changes after TBI. The authors conclude with a summary of the future of emotional and behavioural change prediction methods for TBI patients.

The Role of Catteries and Boarding Kennels In Enabling Tourist Mobility

Pets are increasingly being recognized as family members, leaving their owners with difficult decisions about how to care for them during periods of travel. Tourists can either travel with their pets, leave them in the care of family or friends, or use a paid service provided by an animal boarding facility or "pet hotel." We empirically explore the latter option and theorize pet hotels as enablers of tourist mobility in tourist-generating regions. User-generated content (UGC) consisting of textual pet owner reviews on Google Reviews and Facebook from boarding kennels and catteries across six countries are analyzed using qualitative content analysis. We identify three key themes revealing what users of these services emphasize in their reviews: first, catteries and boarding kennel enable pet owners to travel; second, these facilities alleviate tourists' feelings of guilt or worry; third, pets are imagined to be enjoying their own holidays while at the facilities. This research note sheds light on a growing cultural phenomenon relating to tourism among a globally mobile population for whom pets substitute or extend their human families.

Impact and perceived value of iGeriCare e-learning amongst dementia care partners and others: Pilot evaluation using the IAM4all questionnaire.

Care partners of people living with dementia may benefit from online education. We developed iGeriCare, an award-winning internet-based platform with 12 multimedia e-learning lessons about dementia. Our objective was to evaluate users' perceptions of impact. From March 17, 2021-May 16, 2022, data were collected upon lesson completion. We used the content-validated Information Assessment Method for patients and the public (IAM4all) adapted for dementia care partners. The IAM4all questionnaire assesses outcomes of online consumer health information. Responses were collected using SurveyMonkey and data was analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics (v.28). 409 responses were collected, with 95% of survey respondents completing the survey. 179 of 409 (43.8%) identified as a family or friend care partner, and 84 of 409 (20.5%) as an individual concerned they may have mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. 380 of 409 (92.9%) identified the lesson as relevant or very relevant, and 403 of 409 (98.5%) understood the lesson well or very well. Over half of respondents felt they were motivated to learn more, taught something new, or validated in what they do, while some felt reassured or that the lesson refreshed their memory. 401 of 409 (98.0%) said they would use the information; in particular, to better understand something, discuss the information with someone else, do things differently, or do something. Users identified iGeriCare as relevant, beneficial, and that they would use the information. To our knowledge, this is the first time the IAM4all has been used to assess patient and caregiver feedback on internet-based dementia education resources. A randomized controlled trial to study feasibility and impact on caregiver knowledge, self-efficacy, and burden is in progress.

UNDERSTANDING AND RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS OF STUDENT CAREGIVERS THROUGH THE AGE-FRIENDLY UNIVERSITY LENS

Abstract Caregiving has steadily increased over the years, with approximately 44 million individuals in the U.S. providing over 37 billion hours of unpaid, informal care for adult family members and friends with chronic illnesses or conditions that impact their functionality and daily activities. While much caregiving research has been completed over the years, research on student caregivers is scant, and less is known about the experiences and the needs of students in caregiving roles. This presentation examines data from a campus-wide survey to assess the prevalence and impact of unpaid caregiving on students. Utilizing the Age-Friendly University framework, this study aims to identify sources of unmet caregiving need, as well as community and campus connections to better support students in caregiving roles. Recommendations for assessing student caregiver needs and ways to generate and enhance caregiver support through the AFU lens will be highlighted.

Gambaran Akhlak Santri Hafizh Quran di Baitul Quran Markaz Al-Ma’tuq

This study aims to determine the morals of students who memorize the Quran at Baitul Quran Markaz Al-Ma'tuq. This study uses a qualitative method with a descriptive approach involving as many as five informants. The results of this study indicate that the morals of the students who memorize the Quran at Markaz Ma'tuq can be seen from various aspects of the assessment. 1) Morals to Allah SWT. This can be seen from the daily activities of students in terms of worshiping Allah, always trying to get closer to Allah by multiplying the deeds of worship while in the cottage, including: praying in congregation in the mosque, studying syar'i sciences, muroja'ah Al-Quran. 'an, and other sunnah worship. 2) The character of the students to the teacher can be seen from their polite behavior to the teacher, not criticizing, obedient and obedient to what is ordered by the teachers. 3) Morals to friends. The students care for and care for each other's friends, share, advise and protect each other. 4) Morals of students to parents and society, devoted to both parents and mingling with the community, respecting elders and being polite. The supporting factors for the formation of students' morals are having self-awareness to try to be better, being in a good family and friendship environment.

Tracing Paths of Love through Poetic Inquiry

In response to this call for poetic inquiries that speak the dynamism of an animate pluriverse, that honor what we hold sacred, and that might serve as medicine during these cataclysmic times, these poems-as-research offer a meditation on the power of love in myriad forms, to teach, inspire and sustain us. Weaving mythopoetic thought and imagery amongst everyday events and mundane realities, love surfaces as core currency. Evoking the wonder of children, and the love and care of teachers, mentors, and friends, these poems sing love in the world, and love of the world—the animated natural world, and the written wor(d)ld as expressive animation of what we love. Specifically, this poetic inquiry traces three synchronous veins of love in my life as they weave through my writing-as-research: love for my daughters (and the intractable wonder of childhood); love for a beloved teacher and mentor, American poet Robert Bly; and love as secular-spiritual awakening, the beating heart of social justice and personal/political activism. Tracings of love in our lives, etched and echoed through poetry as inquiry.