Family caregiving research: Reflecting on the past to inform the future

The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 2021 · DOI: 10.1080/10790268.2021.1970883 · Published: September 1, 2021

Healthcare Neurorehabilitation Social Support

Simple Explanation

Family caregivers are essential for the recovery and reintegration of adults with neurological injuries such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury. They provide support for daily activities and self-management. Research has evolved from understanding the impact of caregiving on caregivers' health to developing interventions to support them. It now focuses on tailored interventions and addressing the changing needs of caregivers during transitions across care environments. Implementing family-centered care, which involves collaboration between family members and healthcare providers, and considering family contexts, is crucial to meeting the diverse needs of family caregivers and ensuring the sustainability of healthcare systems.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

Published scientific articles in neurological populations including spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and stroke.

Evidence Level

Narrative review

Key Findings

1
Early research highlighted the negative impact of caregiving on caregiver wellbeing, including depression and anxiety, while more recent studies also identified positive outcomes such as happiness and resiliency.
2
Interventions to support caregivers have yielded mixed results, suggesting that a 'one size fits all' approach is insufficient due to the heterogeneity of caregivers' needs and abilities.
3
Emerging research emphasizes the importance of understanding and addressing the diverse needs of caregivers, as these needs can vary based on factors such as gender, language, immigration status, and injury type.

Research Summary

Family caregivers play a vital role in supporting individuals with neurological injuries, but they experience both positive and negative consequences as a result of caregiving. Intervention research has struggled to meet the needs of heterogeneous groups of caregivers across the care continuum, necessitating a shift towards more tailored and comprehensive approaches. Family-centered care may be the best approach to optimize care systems' abilities to meet the diverse needs of family caregivers and ensure the sustainability of healthcare systems.

Practical Implications

Tailored Interventions

Develop and implement personalized caregiver support programs that address the specific needs and circumstances of individual caregivers.

Transitional Care Models

Design and evaluate models of care that support caregivers and patients during transitions across different care environments.

Family-Centered Care Adoption

Promote the adoption of family-centered care models in healthcare systems to enhance collaboration between families and healthcare providers.

Study Limitations

1
The narrative review design may introduce bias in the selection and interpretation of studies.
2
The review focuses on neurological populations, limiting the generalizability to other caregiving contexts.
3
The review does not provide a quantitative synthesis of the evidence, which could offer a more precise estimation of intervention effects.

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