Bell, Janice F.

The article is part of a series, which supporting Family Caregivers, and published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute. Topics discussed include results of focus groups, conducted as part of the AARP Public Policy Institute's No Longer Home Alone video project, supported evidence that family caregivers; and this series of articles and accompanying videos aims to help nurses provide caregivers with the tools they need to manage their family member's health care at home.

Background: Stakeholder engagement can enhance interpretation of research findings and promote meaningful dissemination into policy and practice. Methods: Several organizations dedicated to understanding the needs of diverse older adults and family caregivers and advancing practice and policy to improve their health came together in a series of discussions.

Background: Care in the home is increasingly complex, with family caregivers now expected to take on aspects of care previously managed by nurses and other health professionals. Method: In a national sample of caregivers of older adults, we examined predictors and outcomes of level of care (low, medium, high) based on caregiving hours and counts of activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs supported.

Informal caregivers are increasingly performing medical/nursing tasks in the home for adult care recipients, often without adequate support. In the current study, using data from the Caregiving in the U.S. 2015 survey (N = 1,248), we examined associations between performing medical/nursing tasks and caregiver well-being (e.g., physical strain, emotional stress, burden of care). Overall, 58% of caregivers performed medical/nursing tasks. Compared to those who did not, those performing tasks had higher risk of emotional stress, physical strain, and high burden of care.