Impact of Hospitalization of People With Dementia or Cognitive Impairment on Family Caregivers.

People with dementia (PWD) have a higher risk of hospitalization than people without dementia. Hospitalizations are stressful events for PWD and their caregivers, representing a considerable change to their routines. The current descriptive longitudinal study aimed to identify the positive and negative reactions, experiences related to health and social integrated care, resource use, and work status of family caregivers of PWD or cognitive impairment admitted to the hospital with a proximal femur fracture undergoing surgery. Findings indicated that family caregivers (N = 174) are fully committed to providing assistance in activities of daily living and supervision, showing positive attitudes on self-esteem and negative attitudes toward lack of family support and impact on finances, schedule, and health. Overall caregiver experiences with integrated health and social care improved after hospitalization but decreased after discharge. One month after hospitalization, family caregivers maintained the same work hours but used fewer health care resources. Hospitalization represents a good opportunity to approach family caregivers and determine their needs to provide them with interventions to minimize their burden and improve their well-being. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 16(6), 283-290.].

Validation of the Spanish Version of the Double Knowledge Expectations and Received Knowledge Significant Other Scale for Informal Caregivers of People with Dementia (KESO-DEM/RKSO-DEM).

Dementia is associated with cognitive decline. Becoming an informal caregiver raises questions, requiring information and support from health professionals to guide home care. A multicenter, longitudinal study was carried out to validate the Spanish version of the double scale of expected and received knowledge for informal caregivers of people with dementia (KESO-DEM/RKSO-DEM), the analysis of the dimensional structure of the instrument, its validity and reliability, and temporary stability was carried out. An analysis of criterion and construct validity, internal consistency, and test−retest stability was performed. The evaluation of the interrelation between dimensions was statistically significant. Regarding internal consistency, the scale values were good both for the scale totals and for each dimension of knowledge, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients of 0.97. For criterion validity, all items showed temporal stability for both questionnaires (p < 0.05). The availability of a valid, reliable tool for the measurement of expected and received knowledge in caregivers of people with dementia allows an approach based on the real needs of the family and the patient. It is important to design care protocols for people with dementia that are adapted to their needs and expectations and to their non-curative treatment, to improve the emotional well-being of patients and informal caregivers.

Lived Experiences of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Qualitative Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many hospitalized patients and deaths worldwide. Coronavirus patients were isolated from their relatives and visits were banned to prevent contagion. This has brought about a significant change in deeply rooted care habits in Mediterranean and Latin American countries where the family normally accompanies vulnerable hospitalized patients. The aim of this qualitative study was to examine the hospitalization experience of COVID-19 patients and their family members. A phenomenological qualitative approach was used. Data collection included inductive, in-depth interviews with 11 COVID-19 hospitalized patients. The mean age of patients was 55.4 years and 45% were female. Nearly 50% required Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission. Ten meaningful statements were identified and grouped in three themes: Positive and negative aspects of the care provided, the patient's perspective, and perception of the experience of the disease. In conclusion, COVID-19 patients, aware of the severity of the pandemic, were very adaptable to the situation and had full confidence in health professionals. Patient isolation was perceived as necessary. Technology has helped to maintain communication between patients and relatives.

Experiences of nursing students as healthcare aid during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain: A phemonenological research study.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a worldwide health and social crisis directly impacting the healthcare system. Hospitals had to rearrange its structure to meet clinical needs. Spain has been experiencing a shortage of working nurses. Student nurses in their last year at university were employed to help the National Health System respond to the COVID-19 crisis. AIM: The aim of this study was to explore and understand the experience of nursing students' roles as healthcare aid in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. METHODS: A qualitative phenomenology design was used to explore undergraduate nursing students' perceptions of their experiences as HAs during the COVID-19 outbreak. Open face-to-face interviews were conducted to nursing students (n = 10) in May 2020. Data was analyzed using the hermeneutic interpretative approach. RESULTS: All participants were women aged between 21 and 25 years. Seven main themes emerged: learning, ambivalent emotions and adaptation were classified at a personal level; teamwork, patient communication, and unclear care processes were categorized under hospital structure; and coping mechanisms were part of external factors. CONCLUSIONS: Orientation, follow-up, and emotional support in crisis situations are key to unexperienced healthcare workers overcoming stressful emotions. Previous academic education and training may help novice future nurses feel more confident about their tasks and responsibilities as well as improve patient outcomes, resource management, and staff safety.

Psychoeducational intervention on burden and emotional well-being addressed to informal caregivers of people with dementia.

BACKGROUND: In dementia it is necessary that a family member become an informal caregiver. This labour has social, physical and emotional repercussions on the caregiver's health. The objective was to assesses the impact of the INFOSA-DEM intervention on burden and emotional well-being among caregivers of people with dementia, evaluating the effects at 3 and 6 months. METHOD: We adopted an experimental, non-randomised design with an intervention group and a control group. The intervention group received the intervention and the control group received usual care. The study was carried out in the catchment areas of three centres specialising in the care of people with cognitive impairment in the province of Barcelona. RESULTS: At 3 months, there was an improvement with respect to burden in the intervention group with a significant worsening (P < 0.012) in the control group. Similarly, a positive effect on emotional well-being was observed in the intervention group compared with a small negative effect among controls. CONCLUSIONS: Programs addressed to informal caregivers based on psychoeducational and cognitive-behavioural therapies are effective in improving quality of life and emotional well-being, and in reducing burden, with a positive effect on the quality of care provided at home.

Informal Caregivers' Roles in Dementia: The Impact on Their Quality of Life.

The constantly changing process of caring for a person with dementia affects the informal caregivers' role due to its psychosocial impact. This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the impact of the Person with Dementia informal caregiver's role caregiver to a person with dementia on the self-perceived quality of life (QoL) of the caregiver. In total, 160 informal caregivers were recruited between January and December 2019. Informal caregivers' quality of life was assessed using the European Quality of Life 5-Dimension scale, burden with the Zarit Burden Scale, emotional wellbeing using the General Health Questionnaire, and caregiver reactions using Caregiver Reaction Aspects. Patients' cognitive impairment was assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination, their quality of life using Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease, and neuropsychiatric symptoms using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Outcomes were studied using the Pearson correlation coefficient and ANOVA test. Most informal caregivers' outcomes were significantly associated with their quality of life. Male informal caregivers have a slightly better quality of life than female caregivers (p < 0.001). Caregiver burden (p < 0.001), psychological wellbeing (p < 0.001) and negative aspects of caregiving on health (p < 0.001) correlated moderately with informal caregivers' quality of life. Factors associated with dementia, including the course of the illness and its severity with the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms can negatively affect the informal caregiver's role and produce a low self-perception of quality of life; thus, social and professional support for informal caregivers is essential.

Effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention for caregivers of People With Dementia with regard to burden, anxiety and depression: A systematic review.

AIM: To assess the effectiveness of psychoeducational interventions with respect to burden, anxiety and depression in family caregivers of People With Dementia living at home. BACKGROUND: In dementia, the family assumes the role of main caregiver, maintaining the patient in a good state of health. Nevertheless, burden, anxiety and depression may have negative repercussions in caregivers. Therefore, professional supports through psychoeducational programmes are recommended as interventions for improving caregivers' health. DESIGN: A quantitative systematic review. DATA SOURCES: Electronic searches were performed in CINAHL/AMED/CENTRAL/Web of Science/LILACS/PUBMED from January 2005-August 2018. REVIEW METHODS: The review was conducted using the JADAD scale to assess bias risk and the quality of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and the CONSORT instrument to assess study quality report. The extracted data were reviewed by independent reviewer pairs. The review was reported using PRISMA. RESULTS: A total of 18 RCTs met inclusion criteria. Seven were classified as Technology-based Interventions and 11 as Group-based Interventions. CONCLUSION: Psychoeducational interventions for caregivers allow them to increase their knowledge of the illness, develop problem-solving skills and facilitate social support. Technology-based Interventions significantly affect burden while Group-based Interventions affect anxiety, depression, insomnia and burden and quality of life and self-efficacy. IMPACT: Research findings can be used to classify caregivers in future interventions according to illness stage to obtain more precise results.