The spatial dimensions of medication management by home-dwelling older adults after hospital discharge

Ageing in place raises pressing questions about medication practices at home. Understanding how medication practices are integrated into older adults’ domestic settings requires an interest in where activities linked to medication take place and why. This study aimed to describe the medication practices and spatial dimensions of medication management for home-dwelling older adults after hospital discharge, using a qualitative research design. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with ten older adults aged 65 years old or more and discharged home from hospital, together with nine informal caregivers. Thematic content analysis identified two main themes dealing with the spatial dimensions of medication management in this specific context: the process of integrating medication changes into routines and familiar spaces, and the individual and collective management of medication changes linked to a renegotiation of the boundaries between public and private spaces.     

Differences in plans for living at home between temporary residents of a health-care facility for the elderly and their family caregivers in Japan

Aim: Older residents in Japan requiring rehabilitation often reside in health‐care facilities for the elderly (HCFE) prior to being discharged to home. The return home can be very stressful for both the elder and family caregiver. The purpose of this study was to clarify the differences in plans for home life between the residents of a HCFE who were scheduled for discharge home and their family caregivers. Method: Semistructured interviews were conducted with eight pairs of elders and caregivers. Results: Differences were seen in several areas, including dietary preferences, recognition of the elder’s independence, preconceptions or not knowing about the elder’s pleasurable activities, and the way of care. Conclusions: Differences with regard to enjoyable activities for the elderly arose from a lack of understanding of the lives of the elderly on the part of their families.     

Constraints on Social Activities of Care-Givers: A Sociological Perspective

Newer policies of community care for those with disabilities have resulted in the home becoming the usual site of care. Policy makers must now give attention to the needs of those at home giving this care. This article explores the constraints on sociability opportunities of 73 mothers who were caring for children with disabilities. These opportunities are often built into leisure pursuits for women without caring responsibilities. However, choice of out-of-house leisure activity was circumscribed for the mothers in this study and their reported leisure activities revolved around home and neighbourhood. Even these sites offered limited scope for sociability because of the way in which caring affected domestic space and because of the characteristics of the modern Australian suburb. It is argued in this paper that personal time and personal domestic space are needed by care-givers so their sociability needs can be fulfilled. An understanding of the constraints imposed by use of the home as a place of care may make possible the planning of a rearrangement of domestic space to increase sociability opportunities for carers.     

隔代抚养与老年人心理健康相关性的Meta分析

目的 对隔代抚养与老年人心理健康关系进行meta分析。 方法 检索PubMed、Embase、the Cochrane Library、Web of Science、中国知网、万方、维普等中英文数据库,收集关于隔代抚养对老年人心理健康影响的相关文献,检索时限为自建库起至2021年5月。对纳入文献进行质量评价及数据整理。所有数据均采用RevMan 5.4软件进行meta分析。结果 最终纳入20篇文献,总样本量69 974例。Meta分析结果显示:在认知功能（SMD = 0.32, 95%CI:0.28～0.36, P＜0.001）、生活满意度（SMD = 0.06, 95%CI:0.04～0.09, P＜0.001）及自评健康（SMD = 0.08, 95%CI:0.02～0.14, P = 0.010）评估中,隔代抚养组评估结果优于非隔代抚养组,呈正相关且有统计学差异;在抑郁状况（SMD = - 0.04, 95%CI: - 0.09～0.01, P = 0.150）评估中,隔代抚养组评估结果劣于非隔代抚养组,呈负相关且有统计学差异。亚组分析结果显示:与非隔代抚养组相比,国外隔代抚养组（SMD = 0.27, 95%CI:0.15～0.39, P＜0.001）;国内隔代抚养组（SMD = - 0.07, 95%CI: - 0.09～ - 0.05, P＜0.001）老年人抑郁状况差异具有统计学意义。祖父抚养组与祖母抚养组（SMD = - 0.32, 95%CI: - 0.40～ - 0.24, P＜0.001）;城镇抚养组与农村抚养组（SMD = - 0.23, 95%CI: - 0.30～ - 0.17, P＜0.001）抑郁状况差异具有统计学意义。结论 隔代抚养对老年人的认知功能、生活满意度及自评健康有维持和促进作用。国家、性别及地域是隔代抚养老年人抑郁状况的重要影响因素。     

Spouse and Adult-Child Dementia Caregivers in Chinese American Families: Who Are More Stressed Out?

ObjectivesThough many studies have explored differences between spouses and adult children in dementia care, empirical evidence is lacking on racial- and ethnic-minority populations. To fill this research gap, this study examined care tasks, caregiver burden, and depressive symptoms of Chinese spouse and adult-child caregivers in dementia care. Guided by the stress process model, this study asked 3 questions: Do spouse and adult-child caregivers take up different care tasks and experience different levels of caregiver burden and depressive symptoms? Does gender moderate the differences between spouse and adult-child caregivers? Whether care tasks and burden mediate the association between being a spouse/adult-child caregiver and depressive symptoms?Setting and ParticipantsData were collected from a questionnaire-based survey of Chinese Americans who provided care for their family members with dementia in New York City. The analytical sample included 126 Chinese spouse or adult-child caregivers.MethodsCare tasks was indicated by intensity of 8 types of care tasks. Caregiver burden and depressive symptoms were measured by Zarit's Burden Interview and the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Linear regression, interaction term (spouse/adult-child caregiver by gender), and path analysis were conducted to address the 3 questions.ResultsThe results of linear regression show no significant difference in care tasks between the 2 groups, but spouse caregivers had significantly higher levels of caregiver burden and depressive symptoms than adult children. Wives had higher levels of caregiver burden and depressive symptoms than husbands, daughters, and sons. Caregiver burden mediated the association between being a spouse caregiver and higher depressive symptoms, whereas care tasks did not shape such association.Conclusions and ImplicationsThis study highlighted the emotional stress of Chinese American older adults in providing care for their spouses. The findings indicate the necessity of developing culturally meaningful activities to support Chinese American spouse caregivers.