The Expert Caregiver Intervention Targeting Former Caregivers in Finland: A Co-Design and Feasibility Study Using Mixed Methods

Sarah Åkerman, Fredrica Nyqvist, Laura Coll-Planas and Annika Wentjärvi
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Sarah Åkerman: Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Åbo Akademi University, 65100 Vaasa, Finland
Fredrica Nyqvist: Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Åbo Akademi University, 65100 Vaasa, Finland
Laura Coll-Planas: Research Group on Methodology, Methods, Models and Outcomes of Health and Social Sciences (M3O), Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia, 08500 Barcelona, Spain
Annika Wentjärvi: Faculty of Health and Welfare, Novia University of Applied Sciences, 65200 Vaasa, Finland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 19, 1-19

Abstract: Informal caregivers face risks of social isolation. Given the high prevalence of informal caregivers in Europe, a considerable proportion of the population are also former caregivers. The Finnish Expert Caregiver intervention sought to train former caregivers to become volunteers aiming to support current caregivers through mainly peer support. The aims of this mixed method non-controlled exploratory intervention study were to assess the feasibility of the Finnish Expert Caregiver intervention by co-designing and implementing the intervention, and by assessing demand and practicality with special attention to the impact of COVID-19. The findings imply that the intervention was feasible as it resulted in a co-designed training course consisting of 30 h with 25 participants enrolling and 19 of them trying volunteering activities. The participants reported high scores on well-being at all timepoints of study, however, without statistically significant differences. The analysis of the focus group interviews revealed that the Expert Caregivers experienced the intervention as meaningful and offered them a sense of belonging with the other participants. Apart from using their caregiving past as an asset, the participants also took advantage of other personal skills and resources. Risks of adverse effects were related to the participants’ expectations on their own contribution, demanding peer support recipients, poorly functioning peer support groups, and insufficient distance to one’s caregiving past. The participants stressed the need for continuing support from intervention facilitators. Future studies with larger samples should investigate whether the effects differ between subgroups of participants and explore the perspective of the peer support recipients.

Keywords: caregiver; health promotion; co-design; intervention; feasibility; mixed method; volunteering; sense of coherence; life satisfaction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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