Caring for caregivers: a nursing role in a corporate setting

The Influence of Pertinent Information and Anxiety on Patterns of Stress in Families Caring for a Chronically III Member at Home

Nursing's ultimate goal in intervening with families providing home care for a stroke victim or chronically ill member is to facilitate adaptation to the condition in a manner that results in optimal physical and mental health of the patient and of the family. Chronic illness can impose an immense burden on families unprepared to meet this challenge. This study examined the impact of pertinent information and anxiety on patterns of stress in families providing care at home for a stroke patient. The findings demonstrate support for the proposition that as knowledge of pertinent information regarding stroke increases, healthier patterns of dealing with stress will be observed.

Orientações para idosas que cuidam de idosos no domicílio

Trata-se de um relato de experiência de um programa de orientação para idosas cuidadoras de idosos no domicílio, realizado pelo Grupo de Atenção à Saúde do Idoso (GRASI), do Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Esse programa foi elaborado e desenvolvido para atender uma solicitação de idosas cuidadoras, e participantes do GRASI. Ao final das atividades, as participantes relataram que o programa possibilitou o melhor enfrentamento das dificuldades, a compreensão das distintas alterações presentes na velhice, e o desenvolvimento de procedimentos que facilitam a relação com o idoso no dia-a-dia.

Impact of the Caring for Aging Relatives Group program: an evaluation

Caregiver support programs have been developed with the goal of alleviating the stress associated with the demanding role of caring for an older person. The majority of these programs, however, have not been formally evaluated. This study is a formal program evaluation which assessed the impact of a caregiver support program on its participants. Both the intervention and matched comparison groups included a convenience sample of 23 female caregivers. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was used to measure morale, social support, and information. Findings showed there was a positive relationship between morale and social support. In the comparison group only, there was a positive relationship between morale and information in both the pretest and posttest. Within the intervention group, there was a significant increase (t = 2.79, p = 0.01) in the information scores between the pretest and posttest. Caregivers in the intervention group reported that the Caring for Aging Relatives Group (CARG) provided them with social support. The results of this study partially supported the usefulness of a caregiver support program; that is, information was gained, morale was maintained, and caregivers perceived the support program as helpful. Future research is needed to address what factors lead caregivers to attend a support program and what type of social support they receive from attending such a program.