Caring From Afar: Long-Distance Caregivers’ Use of Supportive Services for Themselves

Although long distance caregivers (LDCs) are starting to be recognized as a subgroup of care partners experiencing unique challenges and stresses, it is unknown 1) what types of supportive services LDCs use for themselves and 2) what factors are associated with supportive service use in this understudied caregiving population. In our sample of 304 LDCs (Mage=56.9), the most frequently utilized service was video phone/webcam systems to monitor the care recipient (CR). Guided by Andersen’s Model of Health Care Utilization and using multiple hierarchical regression analysis, younger age of the LDC (a predisposing factor) and need-related characteristics (greater caregiving burden and depressive symptoms, more time spent helping the CR, and worse CR functional status) were associated with greater use of supportive services. Enabling factors were not associated with service use. These study findings can help inform how to engage LDCs in supportive service utilization.

Disrupting the Status Quo: The New Normal of Family Caregivers’ Service Use

Family caregivers are essential partners in chronic disease management for older adults. However, being a family caregiver can have negative mental and physical health consequences, making it important for some caregivers to rely on supportive services, either for themselves (e.g. support groups) or to get help with caregiving tasks (e.g. home care). Supportive service use by family caregivers is well documented; yet, this research has often not included specific subgroups of caregivers (e.g. the racially/ethnically, or geographically diverse). Hence, the purpose of this symposium is to share new findings from research on supportive service use in understudied caregiving populations. First, Dr. Cimarolli presents findings from a study on the types of supportive services long-distance caregivers use for themselves and the factors associated with supportive service use in this caregiver population. Then, Dr. Wyman reports findings from a survey on the use of home and community-based resources by family caregivers in a Native American community. Dr. Wright will share the results of a systematic review of self-care interventions designed for caregivers of African Americans living with dementia. Finally, Dr. Mavandadi presents the results of a study examining the effectiveness of a telephone-based, collaborative dementia care program for improving outcomes in caregivers of military veterans living with dementia. Dr. Karen Rose will discuss the implications of each of these study findings for the development and evaluation of supportive interventions for these specialized family caregiver groups.

Dementia Caregivers’ Experiences Engaging Supportive Services While Residing in Under-Resourced Areas

Background: Family caregivers of people living with dementia benefit from supportive service use to address care needs associated with caregiving. Yet, research consistently demonstrates low rates of service use. Existing research has focused on barriers and facilitators to service use, with few studies examining the influence of caregivers’ environmental context which often patterns social advantage and health services accessibility. Objective: To describe the perspectives caregivers residing in socially disadvantaged areas have in regards to utilizing supportive services. Methods: Ten informal caregivers residing in socially disadvantaged areas participated in in-depth interviews that were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Across all interviews, caregivers spontaneously described common precedents of service use (crisis or accumulation of unmet needs) and a distinct sequence of stages (seeking, initiating, and utilizing) surrounding service engagement. Major themes characterizing caregivers’ experiences throughout service engagement highlight the varied influence of personal, familial, health, and social system-related factors. Findings demonstrate that caregivers may have different service needs as dementia progresses and that gerontological social work practice can facilitate service use. Conclusion: While preliminary, these findings provide important insights into new domains that can be further examined in future research and intervention efforts to improve supportive service use in socially disadvantaged and underserved communities.

The Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) Programme in Malaysia: From Inception to Present

Issues on child abuse are very critical considering the many incidents of abuse and violence against children. Experiencing abuse in childhood has lifelong impacts on the health and well-being of children, their families and communities. Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) service is centralised, multidisciplinary team management in the government hospital and serve as a supportive service or programme to children, families and hospital staff. This paper outlines the history and the SCAN service available in Malaysia.

Animal House: Emotional Support Animals in Higher Education and ADA Implications

The use of service animals as an accommodation for a person with a disability is no longer viewed with uncertainty, and the rise of service animals across a myriad of related health, behavioral health, and education settings speaks to its proclivity. Conversely, the wide range of ways in which animals can be used for supportive service is not so widely understood. As such, this writing seeks to explore the evolution of service animals, the subsequent changing landscape of higher education, and how the ADA promotes further exploration in this area.

EXPLORING THE IMPACTS OF SERVICE INNOVATION ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN THE TELECOM INDUSTRY: A PERSPECTIVE FROM INTERACTIVE AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICE INNOVATIONS

The impact of service innovation on customer perception has been investigated in many studies. This paper provides a unique view of service innovation by categorizing service innovation into two forms, interactive and supportive service innovations, and exploring their effects on customer satisfaction and retention in the context of telecommunication services. A dataset of 402 telecom service users from Vietnam is collected for empirical hypotheses testing of the relationships among supportive/interactive service innovation, customer satisfaction, and customer retention. The findings show that the two components of service innovation, interaction and support, are the key determinants of customer satisfaction and customer retention, which provides important information for telecom managers in service strategy planning. The study suggests that service firms should differentiate themselves by investing in supportive service innovations since interactive services are characterized by ease of copying, especially in the telecom sector, which is a highly technology-mediated environment.

Lecturers’ perspectives on enhancing university graduates’ employability in Nigeria

This study investigated the lecturers’ perspectives on enhancing university graduates’ employability in Nigeria. Findings revealed that majority of the lecturers agreed that there is need for the undergraduates to acquire transferable skills and a broad-based experience. Also revealed that majority of the lecturers agreed that the undergraduates need to be exposed to internship and work experience irrespective of their field of study. In addition, majority of the lecturers agreed that guidance and counselling services should be vigorously pursued and revived in our institutions of learning. Based on the findings of this study, some recommendations were made; School authority should expose the undergraduates to internship and work experience scheme irrespective of their field of study. School authority should establish guidance and counselling unit to provide supportive service for the students especially on career-related issues. Government should improve the school environment by providing adequate infrastructural facilities, instructional materials that will enhance broad-based experience among the undergraduates. Keywords: Nigeria; career-related issues; guidance and counselling