Overview and Intervention Approaches to Family Caregiving: Decomposing Complex Psychosocial Interventions

Unique Opportunities and Challenges From Two Online Psychosocial Randomized Clinical Trials

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.313 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 82-83

Author(s):

Carol Musil ◽

Britney Webster ◽

Rachel Pruchno

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trials ◽

Family Caregiving ◽

Social Intelligence ◽

Randomized Clinical Trials ◽

Psychosocial Interventions ◽

Retention Strategies ◽

Daily Diaries ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Report Data ◽

Hard To Reach Populations

Abstract Research aimed at testing readily delivered online psychosocial interventions for addressing the needs of custodial grandfamilies (CGF) has been scarce. This symposium reports on two NIH-funded randomized clinical trials (RCT) involving fully online interventions: Study 1 (S1)-dyadic social Intelligence training for custodial grandmothers and their adolescent grandchildren, and Study 2 (S2)-4 week resourcefulness training with daily journaling intervention for grandmothers only. We presented here on the unique advantages and challenges of online RCTs as they apply to CGFs and similar hard-to-reach populations. First, in a cross-study collaboration, Jeanblanc et al. report data from both studies on how COVID-19 influenced coping habits, grandchild’s remote learning, household conflict, uncertainty, and finances. Second, Castro et al. investigate how baseline positive and negative affect were reported in daily diaries completed by both grandmothers and grandchildren across 14 days at pretest in S1. Third, Musil et al. describe the challenges and benefits of using an entirely online design for the distribution and collection of longitudinal data, as exemplified by 4 weeks of qualitative daily journals from S2. Lastly, Webster et al. report on the benefits and challenges of recruitment and retention strategies encountered across S1 and S2. As discussant, Rachel Pruchno considers how the specific methodological advantages and disadvantages of online RCTs covered in the above papers apply to family caregiving research in general.

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A Typology of Caregiving Situations and Service Use in Family Carers of Older People in Six European Countries

GeroPsych ◽

10.1024/1662-9647/a000031 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 5-18 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Mirko Di Rosa ◽

Christopher Kofahl ◽

Kevin McKee ◽

Barbara Bień ◽

Giovanni Lamura ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Services ◽

Older People ◽

Support Services ◽

Family Caregiving ◽

Service Use ◽

European Countries ◽

Limited Resources ◽

Family Carers ◽

Policy Initiatives ◽

Typology Of Care

This paper presents the EUROFAMCARE study findings, examining a typology of care situations for family carers of older people, and the interplay of carers with social and health services. Despite the complexity of family caregiving situations across Europe, our analyses determined the existence of seven “caregiving situations,” varying on a range of critical indicators. Our study also describes the availability and use of different support services for carers and care receivers, and carers’ preferences for the characteristics of support services. Our findings have relevance for policy initiatives in Europe, where limited resources need to be more equitably distributed and services should be targeted to caregiving situations reflecting the greatest need, and organized to reflect the preferences of family carers.

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