title: Social problem-solving partnerships with family caregivers.
abstract: The goal of this pilot study was to compare the effectiveness of home and telephone social problem-solving partnerships on primary family caregiver outcomes and to determine whether certain caregiver and stroke survivor characteristics influenced these outcomes. Thirty primary family caregivers were assigned to either a home visit, telephone contact, or control group. A registered nurse trained caregivers in the intervention groups in a series of seven telephone calls or home visits during a 12-week period to use social problem-solving skills in managing caregiving problems. Primary family caregiver outcomes were compared before the intervention, during the intervention (at 2 and 5 weeks after discharge), and after the intervention (at 13 weeks after discharge). Compared to the home and control groups, the telephone group had a significant reduction in depression, more positive problem-solving skills, and greater caregiver preparedness during the intervention, and improved, but nonsignificant depression, problem-solving, and caregiver preparedness scores postintervention. Race, age, and education were significant for selected outcomes.
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Grant
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011340:Problem Solving; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D019145:Rehabilitation Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D012944:Social Support; D020521:Stroke / Q000451:nursing*; D013689:Telephone / Q000592:standards*