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In every interview we have done about what is needed to support family caregivers, we hear about the need for connected services, "Definitely continuing care, home care, because they tend to be the ones providing the support and care and discharge. Oftentimes the people really can't go home if you're thinking of discharge home because they still need time, convalescence, recovery, especially if they're older and frailer.  So they'll sit in acute care for a long amount of time trying to sort some of the stuff out. So then you would need the resources or places to do that. So that used to fall under continuing care, transition units, restorative care.  Again, where that'll fall through, I'm not sure, but if you're needing a place to go and transition and take the time to do this properly."

What do care providers think we should support family caregivers better? 1. Assess caregivers' needs from their perspective, earlier in the care trajectory, and 2. Services and supports need to be flexible. "Yeah we need to try and catch people before they're sitting in a hospital emergency. And we're obviously not doing as good of a job at catching them. And I think part of it is, systemically, like we're saying, no, we can send someone in to give your husband a bath, but we can't send someone in to give you a three hour break, right? Like, so though they're sometimes interacting with the system before they're dropping them off at emergency, but we're not catching that what the need is and the supports they need before they get to that, right? And so there needs to be flexible services."

What is the #MedicalHome or #PrimaryCare role in supporting family caregivers? 🌟 Supporting Caregivers: A Key to Better Health Outcomes 🌟 Primary Care Physician Luci Leykum and US primary care experts in, "Recommendations to Improve Health Outcomes Through Recognizing and Supporting Caregivers" highlight the crucial role caregivers play in enhancing health outcomes for patients. Here are some key takeaways: 1. Recognition Matters: Health systems must formally identify and incorporate caregivers into care plans. This recognition is essential for understanding the caregiving context and its impact on health outcomes. 2. Strategic Support: Implementing strategies such as transportation reimbursement, support groups, skills training, and respite care can alleviate caregiver burden, leading to better health outcomes for care recipients. 3. Addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH): Caregiving is often an under-recognized factor influencing health outcomes. By mitigating the negative impacts of caregiving, especially for marginalized populations, we can promote more equitable health outcomes. 4. Collaboration is Key: Partnering with caregivers allows health systems to understand their needs better and provide relevant support, enhancing their ability to manage care effectively. Let's prioritize caregiver support as a vital component of health care to improve outcomes for both caregivers and those they care for! 💪❤️ #Caregivers #HealthOutcomes #Healthcare #Support #SocialDeterminantsOfHealth #EquityInHealth #Wellbeing https://bit.ly/3NWSupn

We always say that family caregivers are the de facto care coordinators. This is from recent interviews: "Well personally, I think the biggest breakdown is the health system is where most of the breakdown happens. And so I feel like for sure family caregivers need to be engaged and considered part of the support system and maybe some of the ways the health care system does things needs to change in order to better meet the needs of care family caregivers. Over and over and over again they discharge people from the hospital without enough planning. They're not aware of some of the resources. They're discharged the home care and then the home care is slow to respond to some of the needs that need to happen and then the reliance is on the family caregiver to manage that. The information from acute care to family physicians doesn't always happen. We encounter that over and over again where they've had interaction with the health system that hasn't been positive and they need help to try and figure out where they can get the support they need and what they can ask for.

This research from the United States: Relationship between health care interactions and care partner burden finds navigating and coordinating medical care is associated with Caregiver Burden, surprisingly not giving care per se. "Care partners of older adults who helped make medical appointments or coordinated care between providers were significantly more likely to report burden compared to those who did not assist with these health care interactions. It is essential that health care systems and providers determine ways to make health care interactions less burdensome for care partners. " https://bit.ly/3FrG5UH Anne Mueller Scott R. Beach @Barbara J Bowers  Beth Fields 

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to talk to Natalie Joly the Executive Director of ElderCare Edmonton. Natalie emphasized the social interactions in day programs-- clients get to make new friends. Relationships reduce loneliness. She also spoke to the benefits of respite for caregivers-- time to pursue roles and interests other than caregiving. It reminded me of this 2003 paper "Evaluating Community-Based Programs for Dementia Caregivers: The Cost Implications of Adult Day Services" Joseph Gaugler, Steven Zarit, Aloen Townsend, Mary-Ann Parris Stephens, Rick Green 🌟 Key Findings on Adult Day Services for Dementia Caregivers 🌟 Initial Costs: Caregivers may face higher expenses initially due to frequent service use. Long-term Savings: Over time, costs decrease as caregivers spend less time on stressful tasks and more on work or leisure. Emotional Benefits: Sustained use reduces depression and enhances well-being, leading to better family relations and lower healthcare costs. Cost-Effectiveness: Adult day services are viable options, providing significant relief for families. Encouragement for Early Use: Early and consistent utilization maximizes benefits for caregivers. In summary, while there are upfront costs, the long-term emotional and financial benefits of adult day services can greatly enhance caregivers' quality of life! 💼💖 #DementiaCare #CaregiverSupport #AdultDayServices https://lnkd.in/gXTvXWd9

How are family caregivers in Germany supported? Caring for Family Caregivers of Geriatric Patients: Results of a Participatory Health Research Project on Actual State and Needs of Hospital-Based Care Professionals Theresia Krieger Regina Specht Babette Errens Ulrike Hagen Elisabeth Doran While there are legal provisions and some support services in place for caregivers in Germany, significant gaps remain in terms of coordination, recognition, and the timely provision of support. These include: 1. Uncoordinated Support: The caregiver support system lacks structure, leading to inadequate counseling and resources. 2. Lack of Recognition: Family caregivers are frequently undervalued, with insufficient acknowledgment from hospital management and professionals. 3. Resource Shortages: There is a significant lack of time, staff, and infrastructure to provide comprehensive support for caregivers. 4. Knowledge Gaps: Care professionals often lack the necessary training and skills to effectively support caregivers, highlighting a need for better education. 5. Inconsistent Communication: Varying levels of involvement and communication among professionals can leave caregivers feeling unsupported and uninformed. 6. Delayed Support: Tailored support is often initiated too late, especially in urgent situations, underscoring the need for early intervention. Improving these areas is crucial for enhancing the well-being of both caregivers and the patients they support. #Caregiving #Healthcare #SupportSystems https://lnkd.in/gmJm_nTv

We are doing discovery interviews with health, social, and community providers and leaders, an Alberta Caregiver Strategy. I love this answer to the question, "What would you hope an Alberta Caregiver strategy and action plan achieves?"   "I guess that the caregiver is always considered in the care of the patient. Because it's very rare that patients don't have someone. They usually have a neighbor even or there's someone there. But when patients go in to see physicians or go for services or whatever, people aren't always thinking about who's supporting you?  How is this actually happening? And there's so many people kind of secretive in the background that even one of my patients showed up at her appointment, she was by herself, her son didn't come with her. So I asked, "How did you get here?" "Well, my son, he called up an Uber." He had arranged all this stuff in the background so that she could actually come because she was told she wasn't able to drive anymore. So a simple act like that is that her son had made the arrangements for her to come and to go back.  It's a huge thing when you think about coordinating that care and arranging logistics." Interviewer: And his credit card is charged, it's all organized so that she's not having to handle money at the time either. Care Provider "That's right. So when you think about the bigger problem,there's there's many areas of difficulty, but it appears that she just magically arrived at the appointment. So you can see if that was a physician's office, they would assume she's independent. Well, not really. Yeah, just ask a few more questions." Asking questions and listening is good care! Maggie Keresteci Donna Thomson Liv Mendelsohn, M.A., M.Ed. Nathan Stall George Heckman Alberta Primary Care Nurses Association

Why is Family Caregiver Burnout an Epidemic in Canada? 1. Aging Population: More older adults need care, often falling on family members. 2. Inadequate Support: Limited formal support systems leave caregivers overwhelmed. 3. Economic Pressure: Balancing work and caregiving strains finances and time. 4. Emotional/Physical Strain: Caregiving is demanding, leading to severe burnout. 5. Social Isolation: Caregivers often lack time for social interactions, worsening burnout. 6. Healthcare Challenges: Navigating the system adds extra burden. 7. Cultural Expectations: Guilt and obligation contribute to burnout. 8. Lack of Recognition: Caregivers often feel undervalued. 9. Mental Health Impact: Chronic stress and anxiety are common. 10. Policy Gaps: Current policies are insufficient to support caregivers effectively. Addressing these issues is crucial to prevent burnout and support Canada's largest care workforce. https://bit.ly/3tqXlXS

A Scoping Review of Dementia Interventions in Home-Based Primary Care by Jeffrey Weiner, Bruce Leff, and Christine Ritchie starts with the stats. In the US, 2 million older adults rarely or never leave their homes and 5.5 million cannot leave their homes without assistance. Their goal was to assess the landscape of home-based primary care interventions. 🌟 What are the key challenges in Home-Based Primary Care for Dementia that need to be addressed?  🌟 1. Lack of Preparedness: Many HBPC practices feel unprepared to deliver high-quality dementia care, citing a significant gap in knowledge and skills among providers. 2. Limited Evidence-Based Interventions: There is a notable lack of tailored, evidence-based interventions specifically designed for HBPC, as most research has focused on ambulatory care settings. 3. High Prevalence of Dementia: With 40% to 60% of HBPC recipients affected by dementia, there is an urgent need for specialized care that meets their complex needs. 4. Need for Individualized Care: Effective dementia care requires personalized approaches based on comprehensive assessments of both patients and caregivers, which are often lacking in current interventions. 5. Insufficient Caregiver Support: Caregivers experience high levels of burden and stress, highlighting the need for enhanced psychosocial support, training, and education. 6. Coordination of Care: Structured care coordination models involving interdisciplinary teams are essential to address the multiple unmet needs of dementia patients. 7. Research and Development: More research and clinical trials focused on dementia care in HBPC settings are necessary to identify best practices and develop effective interventions. Let’s work together to create a supportive and effective care environment for our aging population! 💪💙 #DementiaCare #HomeBasedCare #Healthcare #AgingPopulation #CaregiverSupport #InterdisciplinaryCare #Research #QualityCare https://bit.ly/4bumscn In Alberta, find out more about Home and Community Care https://lnkd.in/gd7hcS-d If you are a health, social or community care provider who wants to learn more about person-centered care for Family Caregivers check out our Caregiver-Centered Care Education!