TY  - JOUR
A1  - Jansen, Leontien
A1  - De Burghgraeve, Tine
A1  - Akker, Marjan van den
A1  - Buntinx, Frank
A1  - Schoenmakers, Birgitte
T1  - Supporting an informal care group - Social contacts and communication as important aspects in the psychosocial well-being of informal caregivers of older patients in Belgium
T2  - Health and social care in the community
N2  - Background: Increasingly, informal caregivers in Belgium care in group for an older patient. This study aimed to decrease the caregiver burden and to increase the well-being of caregivers and patients by supporting the needs of informal care groups of older patients (≥70 years).
Method: Through an online self-management tool, the groups were supported to make informed choices concerning the care for the older patient, taking into account the standards, values, concerns and needs of every caregiver and patient. A pre-post study was performed.
Results: Although patients and caregivers considered the self-management tool as useful and supportive, no clear evidence for decreased caregiver burden was found. There was a positive trend in group characteristics such as the distribution of tasks, communication and prevalence of conflicts. Caregivers also stated that they took more time for themselves, had less feelings of guilt and experienced less barriers to ask help.
Conclusion: Tailor-made support of informal care groups starts with facilitating and guiding a process to achieve consent within the group to optimise the care for the patient and also for the caregivers. With a shared vision and supported decisions, caregivers can enter into conversations with the professional caregiver to coordinate adjusted support regarding the care needs.
KW  - aged
KW  - caregivers
KW  - informal care
KW  - online intervention
KW  - primary care
KW  - psychosocial factors
KW  - support
Y1  - 2021
UR  - http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/63973
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-639733
SN  - 1365-2524
N1  - The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: This study was supported by Cera cvba.
VL  - 30.2021
IS  - 4
SP  - 1514
EP  - 1529
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Oxford [u.a.]
ER  -