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The carer's handbook: what to do and who to turn to
- Author:
- LEWYCKA Marina
- Publisher:
- Age Concern
- Publication year:
- 2004
- Pagination:
- 127p.
- Place of publication:
- London
At some point in their lives, millions of people find themselves unexpectedly responsible for organising the care of an older person facing a crisis. All too often, such carers have no idea what services are available or who can be approached for support. This book aims to help people through the first hours and days of an emergency. It is a practical book packed full of advice and information. It explains the roles of the professional workers who may care for a relative, and explains decisions that have to be made. It also examines longer term options of how relatives can be cared for and the services which may be available for them.
Family caregivers of the elderly: quality of life and coping in Estonia
- Authors:
- TAMMSAAR Krista, et al
- Journal article citation:
- European Journal of Social Work, 17(4), 2014, pp.539-555.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This study analyses the assessments of elderly people aged 65 and family caregiving as a factor influencing their quality of life and coping. The study is based on the project SUFACARE, ‘Supporting family carers and care receivers in Estonia and in Finland', in the framework of which the Institute of Social Work of Tallinn University carried out postal surveys in 2010. The Estonian survey was conducted in Tallinn and Lääne-Viru County. The total number of respondents was 581 (70% female and 30% male), of whom 98 (n=74 female and n=24 male) were family caregivers. Caregiving has not influenced the physical and mental health of caregivers, the reason being that many people who receive care are not of very ill health or suffer from dementia. People mostly take care of their spouses. Based on the Estonian Family Law Act, adult descendants are required to provide maintenance if their relatives are not able to care for themselves. Caregivers whose health is below average consider caring to be physically demanding. Women report caregiving to be physically strenuous more often than men. The mental health of male caregivers is better and fewer male respondents claimed to feel unhappy or depressed compared to female respondents. (Edited publisher abstract)
Coping with the caregiving role: differences between primary and secondary caregivers of dependent elderly people
- Authors:
- BARBOSA Ana, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 15(4), May 2011, pp.490-499.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The coping strategies employed by primary carers of older people are well researched. However, little is known about secondary carers, who often share caring responsibilities. The Portuguese version of the of Caregivers' Assessment Management Index was administered to 90 primary carers, and 90 secondary carers in the Aveiro district of Portugal. Results indicate that emotion-cognitive strategies are less efficient for secondary caregivers. Common problem-solving strategies adopted by both types of caregivers involve relying on own their experience and expertise and addressing and finding a solution to the problem. Neither group were highly efficient at managing care-related stress, but both identified benefits from taking time off. The authors conclude that engaging secondary caregivers in available interventions is of paramount interest, as they can reduce the burden of primary carers and help delay institutionalisation for older people.
Finding meaning as a mediator of burden on the health of caregivers of spouses with dementia
- Authors:
- MCLENNON Susan, HABERMANN Barbara, RICE Marti
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 15(4), May 2011, pp.522-530.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This study investigated the role of “finding meaning in caregiving” as a way of coping with the effect of caregiver burden on health, controlling for influencing factors. Participants included 84 community-residing spousal caregivers for older people with dementia. Face-to-face questionnaires were administered, and tested variables including background and context, caregiver burden, “finding meaning through caregiving” (FMTCG), and caregiver physical and mental health. Findings indicated that FMTCG partially mediated the relationship between caregiver burden and caregiver mental health, but caregiver burden was not associated with negative physical health. This study adds new information to the caregiving role by including “finding meaning in caregiving” as a mediator in the stress-coping process. Caregiver burden had an indirect effect on caregiver mental health that was partially mediated by finding meaning. The study highlights the importance of the positive aspects of caregiving as potential barriers to burden.
10 helpful hints for carers: practical solutions for carers living with people with dementia
- Authors:
- ANDREWS June, HOUSE Allan
- Publisher:
- University of Stirling. Dementia Services Development Centre
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 55p.
- Place of publication:
- Stirling
This easy to read guide provides simple, practical solutions to the everyday problems family carers can face when looking after a person with dementia. It is based on a literature review. The seven sections each give ten suggested solutions or helpful hints and cover how to create a relaxing environment and how to cope with aggression, agitation or anxiety, depression, hallucination, sleeplessness, and wandering. The final section of the booklet lists organisations or services that might provide help.
A longitudinal study of coping and burnout among Japanese family caregivers of frail elders
- Author:
- OKABAYASHI Hideki
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 12(4), July 2008, pp.434-443.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The purpose of this study is to clarify causal relations between coping strategies and burnout in family caregivers of frail elders in Japan. Baseline and 1-year follow-up interviews were conducted with 546 caregivers living in suburban Tokyo. Using newly refined measures, five coping strategies of caregivers (Keeping Their Own Pace, Positive Acceptance of Caregiving Role, Diversion, Informal Support Seeking, and Formal Support Seeking), and caregiver burnout were measured, as well as several confounding factors. After controlling for these confounding factors, results of cross-lagged effects modelling showed that adoption of a Diversion coping strategy decreased caregiver burnout, while increases in burnout decreased caregiver Positive Acceptance of Caregiving Role. The beneficial effect of an Adaptive Avoidance Coping strategy, Diversion, on caregiver mental health was confirmed in this two-wave longitudinal study. The mechanism by which Diversion appears to work is by containing caregiving stressors from completely spilling over into caregivers' personal lives. In addition, the study also shows that preventing a decline in caregiver mental health (i.e. an increase in burnout) allowed caregivers to more easily embrace the caregiving role and, as a result, elder care-recipients were better positioned to receive high quality care.
Caring for someone with diabetes
- Author:
- LEWYCKA Marina
- Publisher:
- Age Concern
- Publication year:
- 2003
- Pagination:
- 138p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This book sets out to bring up-to-date information about diabetes and how to live with this condition. Packed with practical help and guidance, this book explores topics such as understanding diabetes, day to day care, healthy eating and living, medication and coping with emergencies. It draws on the experience of people with diabetes and their carers.
Enhancing the well-being of family caregivers to patients with Alzheimer's Disease
- Author:
- JIVANJEE Pauline
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 23(1/2), 1994, pp.31-48.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Includes a description of findings from a naturalistic study of the impact of caregiving on the lives of people caring for a relative with Alzheimer's Disease. The study focused on caregivers' strengths and the ways that they maintained and enhanced their well-being. Findings indicate that caregivers experience their situation in widely divergent ways. Caregivers are able to enhance their well-being by taking care of their own health and by the use of active and cognitive coping strategies, social support, and respite. The implications of the findings for social work practice and social policy are discussed.
Coping strategies used by aging parental caregivers of adults with autism spectrum disorder
- Authors:
- MARSACK-TOPOLEWSKI Christina N., WILSON Kaitlyn P.
- Journal article citation:
- Families in Society, 102(1), 2021, pp.119-132.
- Publisher:
- The Alliance for Children and Families
Caregiving can be a lifelong responsibility for parents of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined coping strategies and barriers experienced by parents of adult children with ASD. The 51 parents who participated in this study were at least 50 years old and had an adult child (18+) with ASD. Semistructured, one-on-one interviews were conducted with parents to understand their experiences of having an adult child with ASD. Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach, thematic analysis revealed seven themes related to parents’ coping strategies or lack thereof. Themes discussed include faith/spirituality, physical activity/fitness, self-focused coping, work, acceptance, reliance on social support, and barriers to coping. Most parents discussed having at least one coping strategy, with some sharing multiple strategies. (Edited publisher abstract)
Expressive social support buffers the impact of care-related work interruptions on caregivers' depressive symptoms
- Authors:
- ANG Shannon, MALHOTRA Rahul
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 22(6), 2018, pp.755-763.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Objective: To assess if expressive and instrumental social support from family and friends moderate the association of care-related work interruptions (e.g. leaving work for the older adult's doctor appointment) with depressive symptoms among working family caregivers of older adults. Methods: Data were from the Singapore Survey on Informal Caregiving (SSIC). A subsample of 662 dyads, each comprising an older care-recipient [home-dwelling Singaporean aged 75 and older receiving human assistance for at least one activity of daily living (ADL)] and his/her working family caregiver, was analysed. Caregiver depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Care-related work interruptions were scaled through the Mokken scaling procedure. Expressive social support was assessed using a scale by Pearlin and co-workers. Instrumental social support was based on the hours of ADL help provided to the care-recipient by any family member or friend, on behalf of the primary caregiver. A linear regression model, with interaction terms, assessed expressive and instrumental social support as moderators of the association of care-related work interruptions with caregiver depressive symptoms. Results: More care-related work interruptions were associated with more caregiver depressive symptoms. And, this association was moderated by expressive, but not instrumental, social support. Conclusion: The findings conform to previous qualitative work suggesting that caregivers’ mental health may not benefit from instrumental support, but from receiving expressive support instead. Initiatives for improving the care experience of working caregivers of older adults should focus on promoting expressive support from their friends and family. (Edited publisher abstract)