An intergroup communication approach to understanding the function of compliance, outgroup typicality, and honest explanations in distant caregiving relationships: Validation of a health-care communication scale

Abstract

This study examines distant caregiving relationships to achieve a better understanding of the function of compliance, outgroup typicality, and honest explanations from an intergroup communication perspective. With more families living at a distance due to our increasingly mobile society, long-distance caregiving (LDC) is a unique and growing caregiving situation that caregivers must face. LDC differs for caregivers and patients in close geographic proximity due to lack of availability, lack of intimate understanding of the caregiving needs at hand, and unknown financial burdens. As family residential distance increases, additional and unknown stressors are placed on individuals who provide distant care to an aging adult; however, little is known about different accommodation types used in situations of close-proximity as compared with distance caregiving situations. A sample of 130 self-identified distant family caregivers completed an online survey about their communication with their care recipient. This study is one of the first known to examine communication in the distant family caregiving context, and it offers possibilities for future research on communication barriers and health issues that impact this growing population.

Keywords:

• Caregiving
• Long-distance caregiving
• Healthcare
• Health communication

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lisa Sparks

Lisa Sparks is Foster and Mary McGaw Endowed Professor in Behavioral Sciences in Chapman University's Schmid College of Science and Technology Health and Strategic Communication graduate program and Full Member of the Chao Family/NCI Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center; Adjunct Professor of Public Health at the University of California, Irvine.

Jennifer L Bevan

Jennifer L. Bevan is an associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies and the Health and Strategic Communication graduate program at Chapman University.

Kathryn Rogers

Kathryn Rogers is a graduate of the Health and Strategic Communication graduate program at Chapman University.