Efecto de una intervención de soporte social en cuidadores de personas con enfermedad crónica

Objetivo: determinar el efecto de la intervención de enfermería “Alguien apoya al que cuida” sobre las percepciones de soporte social y de sobrecarga con el cuidado de cuidadores familiares de personas con enfermedad crónica.Metodología: estudio de tipo cuantitativo cuasiexperimental con un grupo experimental y de control, al que se le realizó medición antes y después de la intervención aplicando los instrumentos de soporte social percibido de Sherbourne y Stewart y entrevista de sobrecarga de Zarit en un total de 137 participantes que cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión de ser cuidador principal por más de seis meses y estar vinculado al programa “Cuidando a los Cuidadores®” de la Facultad de Enfermería de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Los datos fueron analizados por medio de estadística descriptiva e inferencial no paramétrica en la que se aplicó la prueba de Mann-Whitney para el análisis intergrupos.Resultados: no existe diferencia significativa entre grupos en las mediciones pre y posprueba en ninguna de las variables, además se presenta un mínimo cambio entre las medias de la variable de sobrecarga entre la pre y la posprueba del grupo experimental.Conclusión: se advierte que el efecto mínimo de la intervención propuesta se presenta por la multidimensionalidad del soporte social, además del uso de otro tipo de TIC diferentes a las propuestas en este estudio.

Nurses striving to provide caregiver with excellent support and care at a distance: a qualitative study

Background

In Norway, changes in life expectancy have led to increased attention to older people who are ageing at home, by means of home care services, adapted technology and informal caregivers. The caring situation has become difficult for many caregivers. The use of telecare has now offered them the possibility to receive support at home. The purpose of this study was to explore how nurses provide support and care at a distance, using a web camera and a web forum in a closed telecare network for caregivers to persons suffering from stroke and dementia.

Methods

The study had an explorative design with a qualitative approach. The data sources consisted of interviews with nurses and excerpts from posts in a closed telecare network. Content analysis was used to analyse the text from the interviews and the text from the web forum.

Results

The main theme, “Balancing asymmetric and symmetric relationships” described nurses’ relationship with caregiver. Two categories, “Balancing personal and professional qualities” and “Balancing caregivers’ dependence versus independence” were identified. The first describing the tension in their dialogue, the second describing how nurses provided the caregivers with a sense of security as well as strengthening them to master their daily lives.

Conclusions

The nurses provided long distance support and care for the caregivers, by using computer-meditated communication. This communication was characterized by closeness as well as empathy. To strengthen the caregivers’ competence and independence, the nurses were easy accessible and provided virtual supervision and support. This study increases the knowledge about online dialogues and relationship between nurses and caregivers. It contributes to knowledge about balancing in the relationship, as well as knowledge about bridging the gap between technologies and nursing care as potential conflicting dimensions. Maintenance of ethical principles are therefore critical to be aware of.

Like an extended family: Relationships that emerge when older caregivers use written messages to communicate in an ICT-based healthcare service

OBJECTIVE

To explore the relationships that emerge amongst caregivers of persons with dementia and stroke when caregivers use written messages as their communication tool in a closed information and communication technology (ICT)-based support group.

METHODS

An explorative design with a qualitative approach was used that applied systematic text condensation (STC) to analyse 173 written messages extracted from a web forum.

RESULTS

Empathetic, empowering and familiar relationships emerged amongst peers of older caregivers when the caregivers used written messages as their communication tool. The empathetic relationship was characterised by sincerity and openness when the caregivers shared emotions related to caregiving. The empowering relationship reflected a fellowship based on solidarity influenced by a sense of optimism and a willingness to share knowledge to support one another in overcoming challenges. In the familiar relationship, the caregivers were thoughtful and good-humoured with one another and displayed an attitude of consideration towards one another, as in an extended family.

PRACTICE IMPLICATION

The use of computer-mediated communication in health care service will change the context of establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships. Therefore, greater knowledge regarding how the peers of caregivers interact with one another is vital so nurses may better support and educate ICT-based support groups.