Perceived support needs of family caregivers and implications for a telephone support service.
The purposes of this study were: to identify the perceived support needs of family caregivers of persons living with chronic illness (physical or cognitive) and receiving home-care services, and to describe the types of telephone services that would meet the expressed needs of caregivers. The qualitative design used semi-structured interviews. A total of 34 caregivers (mean age 62 years) participated in the study. The care recipients (mean age 78 years) were primarily the husband/wife or parent of the caregiver. The most commonly expressed caregiver needs were: a social life, instrumental support (e.g., respite, assistance with physical care, financial compensation), informational support, and emotional support. Most caregivers said they would use a telephone support service provided by a professional (71%) or a fellow caregiver (59%) if available. The results of this study support a pilot study and evaluation of a telephone support service for family caregivers.
Ploeg
J
J
School of Nursing, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. ploegj@mcmaster.ca
Biehler
L
L
Willison
K
K
Hutchison
B
B
Blythe
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000592:standards*; D015277:Hotlines / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009864:Ontario; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards; D012144:Respite Care / Q000592:standards; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires