Caregivers' Experiences Regarding Training and Support in the Post-Acute Home Health-Care Setting.

BACKGROUND

Post-acute home health-care (HHC) services provide a unique opportunity to train and support family caregivers of older adults returning home after a hospitalization. To enhance family-focused training and support strategies, we must first understand caregivers' experiences.

OBJECTIVE

To explore caregivers' experiences regarding training and support for managing older adults' physical functioning (PF) needs in the post-acute HHC setting.

METHOD

We conducted a qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured telephone interviews of 20 family caregivers. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using conventional content analysis.

RESULTS

We identified the following primary categories: facilitators to learning (eg, past experience, learning methods), barriers to learning (eg, learning on their own, communication, timing/logistics, preferred information and timing of information delivery), and interactions with HHC providers (eg, positive/negative interactions, provider training and knowledge).

CONCLUSION

Caregivers were responsive to learning strategies to manage older adults' PF needs and, importantly, voiced ideas to improve family-focused training and support. HHC providers can use these findings to tailor training and support of family caregivers in the post-acute HHC setting.