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Effects of guided care on family caregivers

Effects of guided care on family caregivers

Citation Wolff, J. L. et al. Effects of guided care on family caregivers. The Gerontologist. Advance Access published online: August 26, 2009.

Design Experiment

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether Guided Care (GC) improves patients’ primary caregivers’ depressive symptoms, strain, productivity, and perceptions of the quality of care recipients’ chronic illness care.

Participants The participants of this study were N=196 primary caregivers.

Outcome / Dependent Variables Caregiver outcomes included the following: depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale), strain (Modified Caregiver Strain Index), the quality of care recipients’ chronic illness care [Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC)], and personal productivity (Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire, adapted for caregiving).

Procedure Participants completed baseline and 18-month surveys.

Outcomes Between-group differences in depression, strain, work productivity, and regular activity productivity were not statistically significant after 18 months, but caregivers receiving the intervention reported the overall quality of their recipients’ chronic illness care to be significantly higher. Quality of chronic illness care was significantly higher, reflecting the dimensions of goal setting, coordination of care, decision support, and patient activation.

Author Wolff, J. L. et al.