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BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
There are an estimated 27.6 million informal caregivers in the United States providing an average of 20 hours of care per week. Informal caregivers are often not adequately trained or offered support services, and are frequently left to their own devices to negotiate the complex health care system to find help where they can. Meanwhile, their own health suffers. A major gap exists between research and practice, i.e., few programs routinely use what is known to address caregiver's well-being and need for support.
OBJECTIVE(S):
The primary objective of the proposed study is to define existing patterns and outcomes regarding the health and needs of caregivers for veterans with chronic illness. Research questions are: What caregiver characteristics are associated with caregiving appraisal (satisfaction, strain and burden)? What veteran characteristics are associated with caregiving appraisal (satisfaction, strain and burden)?
METHODS:
This study will employ computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) to collect data from VISN 15 veterans enrolled in the Care Coordination Home Telehealth (CCHT) program and their identified primary caregivers. The sample will include 250 veterans and 250 caregivers, for an overall sample size of n=500. The survey data will be analyzed using a variety of statistical methods tailored to each question type.
FINDINGS/RESULTS:
No results at this time.
IMPACT:
The move away from institutional care to ambulatory and home care has shifted the burden of care to the home. Consequently, VA care coordinators are increasingly providing teaching, support, and referrals for caregivers of veterans. Thus, the long-term goal of this project is to develop decision-support tools for VA care coordinators to help them identify caregivers at risk and target appropriate teaching and community referrals.
PUBLICATIONS:
None at this time.
DRA:
Chronic Diseases
DRE:
Quality of Care
Keywords:
Caregivers – not professionals
MeSH Terms:
none
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