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Lazelle E Benefield, PhD, RN, School of Nursing, Texas Christian University (TCU), TCU Box 298620, Fort Worth, TX 76129, 817.257.7043, l.benefield@tcu.edu
Informal caregivers, often family members, are responsible for home care of about 22 million older adults in the US. In almost one-third of these families caregiving occurs at a distance with family members coordinating provision of care, maintenance of independence, and socialization for the elder. Most elders prefer to remain at home and family care for these elders promotes good quality of life and functional independence, delays functional decline and institutionalization, and saves healthcare dollars. Applying evidence-based interventions to address the expressed concerns of distance caregiving are likely to lower healthcare costs, promote quality of life and functional independence for the elder, and improve outcomes.
From the larger set of family caregiving intervention studies, scientific and “real-time” research interventions for the period 1992 through 2003 addressing distance caregivers and caregiving of frail elders living at home were analyzed to identify type and level of research, primary IV and DV, relationship between study variables, and whether and the extent to which interventions involved consultation with caregivers prior to or during the intervention. Interventions were matched to known categories of “doing” caregiving well. Implications for practice and gaps in the science are analyzed in light of NIH priorities in caregiving research.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Caregivers, Frail Elderly
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.