Effect of Interventions on Informal Caregivers of Older Adults: A Scientific Mini Review

Abstract

The growing number of older adults with long-term health issues has led to more family members becoming informal caregivers. These caregivers play a crucial role in providing care to their elderly loved ones. However, this caregiving can be physically and emotionally demanding, affecting the caregivers’ own well-being. This scientific mini-review examines various ways, known as “interventions,” that can help ease the challenges faced by informal caregivers and improve their quality of life. These interventions can include things like training programs, support groups, or using technology to assist caregivers. To get the most up-to-date information, we looked at the recent systematic reviews and studies published in the last 5 years. We searched for this information in three widely recognized electronic databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus with full text. These interventions show promise in making life easier for informal caregivers and improving their quality of life. This mini review intends to offer insights into how these interventions can be beneficial, serving as a resource for healthcare professionals, policymakers, and researchers working to enhance the well-being of both caregivers and the elderly individuals they care for.

Keywords:

caregivers, caregiver burden, quality of life, internet-based intervention, psychosocial intervention

References
[1] Aging and Health 2021 World Health Oraganization [Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/ageing#tab=tab_1.

[2] Alliance FC. Caregiver Statistics: Health, Technology, and Caregiving Resources 2023 [Available from: https://www.caregiver.org/resource/caregiver-statistics-healthtechnology- and-caregiving-resources/.

[3] Bonacasa MD, Rosa E, Camps C, Martinez-Rubio D. A translational approach to design effective intervention tools for informal caregivers of dependent cancer patients. Public Health. 2019;168:50-8.

[4] Chen Z, Ding Z, Chen C, Sun Y, Jiang Y, Liu F, et al. Effectiveness of comprehensive geriatric assessment intervention on quality of life, caregiver burden and length of hospital stay: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMC Geriatr. 2021;21(1):377.

[5] Ploeg J, Ali MU, Markle-Reid M, Valaitis R, Bartholomew A, Fitzpatrick-Lewis D, et al. Caregiver-focused, web-based interventions: Systematic review and meta-analysis (Part 2). J Med Internet Res. 2018;20(10):e11247.

[6] Cheng Q, Xu B, Ng MSN, Duan Y, So WKW. Effectiveness of psychoeducational interventions among caregivers of patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Nurs Stud. 2022;127:104162.

[7] Dionne-Odom JN, Ejem DB, Wells R, Azuero A, Stockdill ML, Keebler K, et al. Effects of a telehealth early palliative care intervention for family caregivers of persons with advanced heart failure: The ENABLE CHF-PC randomized clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(4):e202583.

[8] Panzeri A, Rossi Ferrario S, Vidotto G. Interventions for psychological health of stroke caregivers: A systematic review. Front Psychol. 2019;10:2045.

[9] Kramer BJ. Gain in the caregiving experience: Where are we? What next? Gerontologist. 1997;37(2):218-32.

[10] Hoffmann RL, Mitchell AM. Caregiver burden: Historical development. Nurs Forum. 1998;33(4):5-11.

[11] Montgomery RJV, Gonyea JG, Hooyman NR. Caregiving and the experience of subjective and objective burden. Family Relations. 1985;34(1):19-26.

[12] Li L, Wister AV, Mitchell B. Social isolation among spousal and adult-child caregivers: Findings from the Canadian longitudinal study on aging. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2021;76(7):1415-1429.

[13] Xiang E, Guzman P, Mims M, Badr H. Balancing work and cancer care: Challenges faced by employed informal caregivers. Cancers (Basel). 2022;14(17).

[14] Martsolf GR, Kandrack R, Rodakowski J, Friedman EM, Beach S, Folb B, et al. Work performance among informal caregivers: A review of the literature. J Aging Health. 2020;32(9):1017-1028.

[15] The World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment (WHOQOL): Position paper from the World Health Organization. Soc Sci Med. 1995;41(10):1403-1409.

[16] Felce D, Perry J. Quality of life: Its definition and measurement. Res Dev Disabil. 1995;16(1):51-74.

[17] Aljuaid M, Ilyas N, Altuwaijri E, Albedawi H, Alanazi O, Shahid D, et al. Quality of life among caregivers of patients diagnosed with major chronic disease during COVID- 19 in Saudi Arabia. Healthcare (Basel). 2022;10(3).

[18] Rowland C, Hanratty B, Pilling M, van den Berg B, Grande G. The contributions of family care-givers at end of life: A national post-bereavement census survey of cancer carers’ hours of care and expenditures. Palliat Med. 2017;31(4):346-55.

[19] Scardamalia R. Aging in America. Lanham, Md.: Bernan Press; 2014. xxx, 416 p. p.

[20] Pereira BDS, Fernandes NDS, de Melo NP, Abrita R, Grincenkov F, Fernandes N. Beyond quality of life: A cross sectional study on the mental health of patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis and their caregivers. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2017;15(1):74.

[21] Alves S, Teixeira L, Azevedo MJ, Duarte M, Paul C. Effectiveness of a psychoeducational programme for informal caregivers of older adults. Scand J Caring Sci. 2016;30(1):65-73.

[22] Aksoydan E, Aytar A, Blazeviciene A, van Bruchem-Visser RL, Vaskelyte A, Mattace- Raso F, et al. Is training for informal caregivers and their older persons helpful? A systematic review. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2019;83:66-74.

[23] Berthelsen CB, Kristensson J. The content, dissemination and effects of case management interventions for informal caregivers of older adults: a systematic review. Int J Nurs Stud. 2015;52(5):988-1002.

[24] Lopez J, Crespo M, Zarit SH. Assessment of the efficacy of a stress management program for informal caregivers of dependent older adults. Gerontologist. 2007;47(2):205-14.

[25] Vandepitte S, Van Den Noortgate N, Putman K, Verhaeghe S, Faes K, Annemans L. Effectiveness of supporting informal caregivers of people with dementia: A systematic review of randomized and non-randomized controlled trials. J Alzheimers Dis. 2016;52(3):929-965.

[26] Lopez-Hartmann M, Wens J, Verhoeven V, Remmen R. The effect of caregiver support interventions for informal caregivers of community-dwelling frail elderly: a systematic review. Int J Integr Care. 2012;12:e133.

[27] Madara Marasinghe K. Assistive technologies in reducing caregiver burden among informal caregivers of older adults: a systematic review. Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2016;11(5):353-360.

[28] McKechnie V, Barker C, Stott J. Effectiveness of computer-mediated interventions for informal carers of people with dementia-a systematic review. Int Psychogeriatr. 2014;26(10):1619-1637.

[29] Ploeg J, Markle-Reid M, Valaitis R, McAiney C, Duggleby W, Bartholomew A, et al. Web-based interventions to improve mental health, general caregiving outcomes, and general health for informal caregivers of adults with chronic conditions living in the community: Rapid evidence review. J Med Internet Res. 2017;19(7):e263.

[30] Rottenberg S, Williams A. Web-based delivery of the caregiving essentials course for informal caregivers of older adults in Ontario: Mixed methods evaluation study. JMIR Aging. 2021;4(2):e25671.

[31] Look KA, Stone JA. Medication management activities performed by informal caregivers of older adults. Res Social Adm Pharm. 2018;14(5):418-26.

[32] Ugur HG, Erci B. The effect of home care for stroke patients and education of caregivers on the caregiver burden and quality of life. Acta Clin Croat. 2019;58(2):321- 332.

[33] Moreira ACA, Silva MJD, Darder JJT, Coutinho JFV, Vasconcelos MIO, Marques MB. Effectiveness of an educational intervention on knowledge-attitude-practice of older adults’ caregivers. Rev Bras Enferm. 2018;71(3):1055-1062.

[34] Denche-Zamorano A, Rodriguez-Redondo Y, Barrios-Fernandez S, Mendoza-Muñoz M, Rojo-Ramos J, Garcia-Gordillo MA, et al. Depression, anxiety and antidepressants and anxiolytics use in Spanish informal caregivers according to the physical activity frequency: EHSS 2014–2020. Healthcare. 2023;11(7).

[35] Stroka-Wetsch M. The effect of informal caregiving on medication: evidence from administrative data. Eur J Health Econ. 2022;23(9):1535-1545.

[36] Mikkola TM, Kautiainen H, Manty M, von Bonsdorff MB, Koponen H, Kroger T, et al. Use of antidepressants among Finnish family caregivers: A nationwide registerbased study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2021;56(12):2209-2216.