University at Buffalo, NY, USA.
Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA.
J Appl Gerontol. 2020 Aug;39(8):820-827. doi: 10.1177/0733464818766666. Epub 2018 Apr 12.
Caregivers of terminally ill patients are at risk for anxiety, depression, and social isolation. Social support from friends, family members, neighbors, and health care professionals can potentially prevent or mitigate caregiver strain. While previous research documents the importance of social support in helping end-of-life caregivers cope with caregiving demands, little is known about differences in social support experiences among caregivers at different life course stages. Using life course theory, this study analyzes data from in-depth interviews with 50 caregivers of patients enrolled in hospice services to compare barriers to mobilizing social support among caregivers at two life course stages: midlife caregivers caring for parents and older adult caregivers caring for spouses/partners. Older adult caregivers reported different barriers to mobilizing social support compared with midlife caregivers. Findings enhance the understanding of how caregivers' life course stage affects their barriers to mobilization of social support resources.
临终患者的护理人员面临焦虑、抑郁和社会孤立的风险。来自朋友、家人、邻居和医疗保健专业人员的社会支持可能有助于预防或减轻护理人员的压力。虽然之前的研究记录了社会支持在帮助临终护理人员应对护理需求方面的重要性，但对于不同生命阶段的护理人员在社会支持体验方面的差异知之甚少。本研究使用生命历程理论，分析了 50 名接受临终关怀服务的患者的护理人员的深入访谈数据，比较了处于两个生命历程阶段的护理人员在调动社会支持方面的障碍：中年护理人员照顾父母和老年护理人员照顾配偶/伴侣。与中年护理人员相比，老年护理人员在调动社会支持方面报告了不同的障碍。研究结果增强了对护理人员生命历程阶段如何影响其调动社会支持资源障碍的理解。
