Slaboda Jill C, Nelson Sandahl H, Agha Zia, Norman Gregory J
Gary and Mary West Health Institute, 10350 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2021 Jan 29;21(1):101. doi: 10.1186/s12913-021-06086-z.
Caregiving is a demanding role that can negatively impact a person's health and well-being. As such, adequate access to health care is important for maintaining the family caregiver's own personal health. The aims of this study were to identify if family caregivers of older adults had more difficulty accessing health care services than non-caregivers and to identify if family caregivers felt access to additional services would be beneficial for maintaining their own personal health care.
National survey of 3026 US adults aged 30 to 89 years old. Participants were grouped based on self-reported caregiving experience. Survey asked about access to care, importance of health care services and whether caregivers had support needed. Descriptive statistics were used to compare caregiver and non-caregiver's responses. Multivariate logistic regression model assessed correlates of caregivers not having the support they needed.
Caregivers were older, female, lower educational attainment, lower income, had more multiple chronic health conditions and health condition or disability that impacts their daily life. Caregivers reported difficulty accessing mental health services, dental services, medications, and supportive services at home. Caregivers felt it was important to have care coordinator, long-term relationship with primary care provider and access to house calls, telemedicine, and medications delivered to the home. Age, ethnicity, chronic conditions and confidence in finances were factors influencing whether caregiver had support needed to provide assistance to older care recipient.
Caregivers provide needed support and care to older adults while also needing support for themselves. Health care services delivered in the home were highly desirable to caregivers and could help them maintain their health and well-being.
照顾他人是一项要求很高的任务，可能会对一个人的健康和幸福产生负面影响。因此，获得充足的医疗保健对于维持家庭照顾者自身的健康很重要。本研究的目的是确定老年人的家庭照顾者在获得医疗保健服务方面是否比非照顾者有更多困难，以及确定家庭照顾者是否认为获得额外服务对维持他们自身的个人医疗保健有益。
对3026名年龄在30至89岁的美国成年人进行全国性调查。参与者根据自我报告的照顾经历进行分组。调查询问了获得护理的情况、医疗保健服务的重要性以及照顾者是否得到所需的支持。使用描述性统计来比较照顾者和非照顾者的回答。多变量逻辑回归模型评估了照顾者没有得到他们所需支持的相关因素。
照顾者年龄较大、女性居多、受教育程度较低、收入较低、患有更多多种慢性健康状况以及影响其日常生活的健康状况或残疾。照顾者报告在获得心理健康服务、牙科服务、药物以及家庭支持服务方面存在困难。照顾者认为拥有护理协调员、与初级保健提供者建立长期关系以及获得上门问诊、远程医疗和送药上门服务很重要。年龄、种族、慢性病状况和对财务状况的信心是影响照顾者是否有支持来为老年受照顾者提供帮助的因素。
照顾者在为老年人提供所需支持和护理的同时，自身也需要支持。家庭提供的医疗保健服务是照顾者非常渴望的，并且可以帮助他们维持健康和幸福。
