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 and Elisabeth Dorant
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Theresia Krieger: Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Regina Specht: Helios Klinikum, An der Gontardslust 7, 57319 Bad Berleburg, Germany
Babette Errens: Rhein-Maas Klinikum, Mauerfeldchen 25, 52146 Würselen, Germany
Ulrike Hagen: Rhein-Maas Klinikum, Mauerfeldchen 25, 52146 Würselen, Germany
Elisabeth Dorant: Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 16, 1-17

Abstract: Because of societal changes, family caregivers are becoming vital in long-term care provision for geriatric patients after discharge from hospital. Hospital-based geriatric care teams need tools to prepare and support family caregivers for their future caregiving role in the home environment. To explore the actual state and needs for implementing a suitable family caregiver support concept in a large geriatric hospital in Germany, a Participatory Health Research methodology was chosen. An academic investigator, assisted by a critical friend, facilitated all research steps. Geriatric care professionals joined as co-researchers and performed qualitative data collection using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The entire co-research team took part in the thematic analyses. The existing family caregiver support was perceived as uncoordinated and incomplete, and a lack of knowledge about support programmes in the community was apparent. The needs regarding a comprehensive family caregiver support concept that acts on both individual caregiver as well as on system level, but also connects the two levels, were formulated. High grades of participation of hospital-based co-researchers could be achieved. A critical reflection on the research strategy revealed that the participatory methodology, although time-consuming, was perceived as a useful strategy within the hierarchically organized hospital.

Keywords: family caregiver support; geriatric patient care; actual state and needs assessment; health system development; participatory health research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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