Giving voice to informal caregivers of older adults

Pamela G. Hawranik, Laurel A. Strain

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal Articlepeer-review

    16 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    This study focused on the experiences of informal caregivers of older adults and explored whether employment, use of home-care services, or other factors influence the health of caregivers and their ability to manage their caregiving and other responsibilities. Focus groups conducted with 26 caregivers and personal interviews with 4 caregivers identified 12 themes under 5 conceptual areas: caregiver health, relationships, independence, employment, and use of home-care services. The findings reveal that caregiving coupled with other responsibilities can have serious health effects. Participants spoke of the tenuous balance of decision-making control between caregiver and care recipient. Many caregivers expressed a desire to be included as part of the formal health-care team. Implications for nursing are discussed.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)156-172
    Number of pages17
    JournalCanadian Journal of Nursing Research
    Volume39
    Issue number1
    Publication statusPublished - Mar. 2007

    Keywords

    • Caregiver health
    • Caregiving
    • Community service use
    • Home care
    • Informal caregivers
    • Older adults

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