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The Hidden Health Crisis: What Family Caregivers Want You to Know

I looked at the diagnostic specialist and burst into tears. She had seen other women like me and knew what was wrong with my shoulder. Finally, after 14 months of being tossed between physicians, specialists, and physical therapists and many misdiagnoses, I had an answer: frozen shoulder. It explained the extreme pain in my shoulder along with the stiffness and inability to move the shoulder joint. This condition takes 1 to 3 years to resolve, and there is little that can be done to relieve the pain or force the shoulder to move. 

  1. MaryAnne’s Story

Tue, 07/02/2019 - 14:29

Community-led and/or focused initiatives to support family carers within a palliative care context: An integrative review

Background: Public health approaches to palliative care prioritise community-focused initiatives to support people with palliative care needs and their families. The nature and extent of these initiatives have not previously been reported. Aim: To identify community-led and/or focused initiatives that have been developed to support family carers of people with palliative care needs and for which evaluation information is reported in the empirical literature. Design: An integrative study design was undertaken using systematic methods.

Fri, 06/07/2019 - 13:04

A 'gaping hole' in US health care? Millions of caregivers are overlooked

Caregivers in the United States face significant economic loss and stress to care for their families and friends during and after medical treatment, a fact that highlights a "gaping hole" in the U.S. health care system, Aaron Carroll, a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, writes for the New York Times' "The Upshot." Another study published in Cancer in 2009 found that two-year caregiving costs exceeded $72,000 for lung cancer, $66,000 for ovarian cancer, $59,000 for lymphoma, and $38,000 for breast cancer. The U.S.

Fri, 06/07/2019 - 11:33

Informal caregiving and personality: Results of a population-based longitudinal study in Germany

Background: The aim of this study was to identify whether informal caregiving time is associated with personality factors longitudinally. Methods: Longitudinal data were gathered from the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP), a large nationally representative, longitudinal study of German households beginning in 1984. Focusing on the association between informal caregiving and personality factors, data were used from the years 2005, 2009 and 2013. The GSOEP Big Five Inventory was used to assess personality factors.

Wed, 05/29/2019 - 10:36

What would I want? Dementia perspectives and priorities among people with dementia, family carers and service professionals

Different perspectives on dementia, held by people with dementia, carers and professionals working in helping service industries, were examined in 111 interviews across Australia in 2017 to add a recipients' view on what public health campaigning should address. Contrasts were found between the priorities of the different perspectives, plus a common feeling that dementia should become a normal part of social life. Rather than reflecting stigmatising behaviour, all groups expressed a need for knowledge on how to communicate and interact with people with dementia.

Fri, 05/24/2019 - 08:56

Family Caregiver Training Program (FCTP): A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Family Caregiver Training Program (FCTP) for caregivers of people with dementia.METHOD. A random assignment control group research design with a 3-mo follow-up was implemented.RESULTS. Thirty-six family caregivers of people with dementia demonstrated an increase in activity of daily living (ADL) knowledge (p < .001) and maintenance of that knowledge 3 mo posttest. Caregiver confidence, regardless of group assignment, improved; however, it was not maintained.

Tue, 05/14/2019 - 11:21

Policy and advocacy for informal caregivers: How state policy influenced a community initiative

With a growing proportion of elderly in the global population, the role of 'informal caregivers' gains importance. Informal caregivers are unpaid family members or friends who provide assistance to home-dwelling adults with health-related needs or limitations. Internationally, informal caregivers provide important medical support to those with a variety of diseases.

Wed, 04/10/2019 - 13:35

Views on the Effects of the Spanish Dependency Law on Caregivers’ Quality of Life Using Concept Mapping

In 2006 the Spanish Dependency Law established new rights for people in situation of dependency. The impact of the Law could have also affected the quality of life of their carers. This study aims to understand how the Law may have influenced caregivers’ quality of life through their own perceptions and those of Primary Health Care professionals, and to compare both perspectives. The study used Concept Mapping, a mixed methods technique. In total, 16 caregivers and 21 professionals participated. Both groups identified a mix of positive and negative effects.

Fri, 03/22/2019 - 10:27

The longitudinal association between informal caregiving and body mass index in the second half of life: findings of the German Ageing Survey

Objective We aimed to investigate the relation between informal caregiving and body mass index (BMI) longitudinally. Study designThe data were drawn from wave 2 (2002) to wave 5 (2014) of the German Ageing Survey. This is a representative sample of the community-dwelling population aged 40 years and above in Germany. Methods Self-rated BMI was used. Individuals were asked whether they provide informal care on a regular basis.

Mon, 03/11/2019 - 12:53

Developing compassionate communities in Australia through collective caregiving: a qualitative study exploring network-centred care and the role of the end of life sector

Background: The new public health palliative care movement calls for a move away from an individualised model of caregiving to a whole of community approach which will increase expectations on community carers. In order to avoid carer isolation, exploitation and potential burnout there is then a very real need to understand environments and relationships which support collective community caregiving.

Fri, 02/01/2019 - 12:33