Search results for ‘Subject term:"older people"’ Sort:
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Caregiving couples
- Authors:
- CARPENTER Brian D., MAK Wingyun
- Journal article citation:
- Generations, 31(3), 2007, pp.47-53.
- Publisher:
- American Society on Aging
This article discusses caregiving couples and the challenges this can create.
'The hard thing is the changes': the importance of continuity for older men caring for their wives
- Authors:
- SANDBERG Jonas, ERIKSSON Henrik
- Journal article citation:
- Quality in Ageing, 8(2), June 2007, pp.5-15.
- Publisher:
- Pier Professional
- Place of publication:
- Brighton
This study aimed to provide an understanding of the experience of older men as caregivers for an ill spouse. Interviews were conducted with three older men between 65 and 78 years, who had been caring for their wives for between one and 12 years. Two main categories emerged: taking on a new and unfamiliar role, and learning to live with the new role. The results also show how the men seek to maintain continuity in their relationships with the wives they are caring for. The findings can be understood in the light of a major life transition of how older men providing care for a spouse create new roles and how they cope with the changes in the marital relationship. A sense of continuity in the process of caring is important for men to help them find the strength to continue as caregivers.
Changes in adult child caregiver networks
- Authors:
- SZINOVACZ Maximiliane, DAVEY Adam
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 47(3), June 2007, pp.280-295.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Caregiving research has typically relied on cross-sectional data that focus on the primary caregiver. This approach neglects the dynamic and systemic character of caregiver networks. This analyses addressed changes in adult child care networks over a 2-year period from a sample in Florida. The study relied on pooled data from Waves 1 through 5 of the Health and Retirement Study. Based on a matrix of specific adult child caregivers across two consecutive time points, the study assessed changes in any adult child caregiver as well as in the primary adult child caregiver. More than half of all adult-child care networks, including more than one fourth of primary adult child caregivers, changed between waves. Gender composition of the caregiver network and availability of other adult child caregivers were particularly important for network change, but socioeconomic context, caregiver abilities and resources, and caregiver burden played a role as well. The results underline the need to shift caregiving research toward a dynamic life course and family systems perspective. They also raise concerns about the viability of informal care networks for future smaller birth cohorts and suggest that health care providers need to recognize and address coordination and potential conflicts among care network members.
Support for carers of people with dementia
- Author:
- -
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 12.07.07, 2007, pp.38-39.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
It is estimated that there are 700,000 cases of dementia in the UK and around one million people caring for them. This article looks at the current research evidence and messages for practice around caring for people with dementia.
Social support and adjustment to caring for elder family members: a multi-study analysis
- Authors:
- SMERGLIA Virginia L., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 11(2), March 2007, pp.205-217.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This multi-study analysis systematically examines research findings on relationships between social support and caregiver adjustment to discover whether informal support helps family caregivers. Caring for older relatives is an ongoing stressful life course event and role. Informal social support is often used as a predictor of caregiver adjustment outcomes. It is widely believed to enhance adjustment. Yet the varied research results do not necessarily support this belief. A computer-generated literature search of social sciences and medical databases produced thirty-five caregiving articles, published in refereed journals, which meet study parameters. A coding form was developed to categorize social support and adjustment variables for cross-tabular analyses. The findings show most relationships (61%) between social support and caregiver adjustment are not positively significant. Of the minority of positively significant relationships, neither perceived (available) nor received support is more important and neither instrumental nor socioemotional support is more likely to aid adjustment. Researchers and health care professionals need to explore the negative impact of social support and attributes of caregiver-care recipient relationships.
Assistance received by employed caregivers and their care recipients: who helps care recipients when caregivers work full time?
- Authors:
- SCHARLACH Andrew E., GUSTAVSON Kristen, DAL SANTO Teresa S.
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 47(6), December 2007, pp.752-762.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This study examined the association among caregiver labour force participation, employees' caregiving activities, and the amount and quality of care received by care recipients. Telephone interviews were conducted with 478 adults who were employed full time and 705 nonemployed adults who provided care to a family member or friend aged 50 or older, identified through random sampling of California households. Care recipient impairment and service problems; the amounts and types of assistance received from caregivers, family and friends, and paid providers; and caregiver utilization of support services were all assessed. Care recipients of caregivers employed full time were less likely to receive large amounts of care from their caregivers, more likely to receive personal care from paid care providers, more likely to use community services, and more likely to experience service problems than were care recipients of nonemployed caregivers. Employed caregivers were more likely to use caregiver support services than were nonemployed caregivers. Accommodation to caregiver full-time employment involves selective supplementation by caregivers and their care recipients, reflecting increased reliance on formal support services as well as increased vulnerability to service problems and unmet care recipient needs. These findings suggest the need for greater attention to the well-being of disabled elders whose caregivers are employed full time.
Race and gender differences in perceived caregiver availability for community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults
- Authors:
- ROTH David L., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 47(6), December 2007, pp.721-729.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This study examined race and gender differences in perceived informal caregiver availability for participants aged 45 and older in a large US national epidemiological study. Cross-sectional data were collected in structured telephone interviews from 32,999 participants from the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. Participants were asked if they believed that someone was available to provide care for them in the event of a serious illness or disability and, if so, to describe that person. More than 80% of the participants reported having an available caregiver. Variables associated with lower perceived caregiver availability from a multivariable logistic regression analysis included being female, White, or unmarried; living alone; being older than 85; and having worse self-rated health. Spouses were the most likely caregivers for all racial and gender groups except for African American women, who identified daughters as the most likely caregivers. African American women also showed the smallest differential in perceived caregiver availability between married and unmarried (82.8% vs 75.7%), whereas White men showed the largest differential (90.9% vs 60.4%). Most individuals believe they have an informal caregiver available to them, but certain factors increase the risk of reporting no available caregiver. Increased efforts are needed to anticipate future caregiving needs, particularly for individuals who perceive a lack of available informal caregivers and may require more formal care services.
Marital history and intergenerational solidarity: the impact of divorce and unmarried cohabitation
- Author:
- DAATLAND Svein Olav
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Issues, 63(4), 2007, pp.809-825.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Among the more recent challenges for the family are the increasing divorce rates and the decline in marriages. This article examines the possible consequences of these trends for intergenerational family relationships. How does divorce in the parent generation, and the shift from marriage to unmarried cohabitation among adult children, affect intergenerational solidarity? These questions are explored with data from the Norwegian Life Course, Ageing and Generation Study (NorLAG, n = 5,589, age 40–79). Scandinavian countries have high divorce and cohabitation rates and may therefore be of interest as comparative cases for countries where these events are less institutionalized. The findings suggest, however, that Norway accommodates to the general norm in the sense that divorce among parents is associated with lower solidarity with adult children on most solidarity dimensions. This is more true for fathers than for mothers. There is, on the other hand, no difference in solidarity between married and cohabitating children vis à vis the parent generation. The explanations and implications of these findings are discussed.
Dementia care partnership: more than bricks and mortar
- Author:
- GARWOOD Sue
- Publisher:
- Care Services Improvement Partnership. Housing Learning and Improvement Network
- Publication year:
- 2007
- Pagination:
- 11p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Dementia Care Partnership (DCP) has a number of features which make it distinctive - possibly unique - and well worth emulating. A complementary range of services for people with dementia and their carers enable individually tailored provision. An underpinning value base commands a high level of commitment from staff and volunteers. With an emphasis on independent living and individual fulfilment, people with dementia and their carers play a significant role, not only in determining their own support, but in shaping what DCP does. DCP has been awarded "Pathfinder status" by the Department of Health's Social Enterprise Unit and will be going on to develop a series of social enterprises. This case study describes DCP's services and approach.
Scots pioneers
- Author:
- WILLIAMS Corin
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 6.12.07, 2007, pp.32-33.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
The Minority Ethnic Carers of Older People Project - Mecopp - provides respite care and advocacy for carers in Scotland. This article looks at how the project has expanded and why the model works.