Long-Distance Caregivers: What are Their Experiences with Formal Care Providers?

ABSTRACT

Objectives

Extensive literature has documented the experiences of informal caregivers and their interactions with formal care providers, yet this research is almost entirely limited to caregivers who live near their care-recipients. This study aims to describe long-distance caregivers’ (LDC) experiences (e.g., satisfaction and challenges) with formal care providers. Subgroup differences were examined based on the care-recipient’s (CR) dementia status and residential setting (community versus residential care).

Methods

Data were collected from 296 LDCs (M_age = 56.64, SD = 12.40) categorized into four subgroups based on CR dementia status and residential setting. Participants rated their overall satisfaction, satisfaction with communication and information, and described challenges faced in their interactions with formal care providers.

Results

Challenges related to formal care providers were significantly greater and satisfaction significantly lower among LDCs of CRs in residential care, irrespective of dementia status, when compared to LDCs of CRs in the community.

Conclusions

This study provides insights into the experiences of a growing segment of the caregiver population managing care from a distance, specifically in their interactions with formal care providers.

Clinical Implications

The results of this study point to the possible necessity for the development of novel interventions to improve and enhance communication and collaboration between FCPs and informal caregivers.

KEYWORDS:

• Long-distance caregiving
• formal care providers
• caregiving
• long-term care
• nursing homes

Clinical implications

• LDCs of older adults living in residential settings, when compared to LDCs of older adults living in the community, experience greater issues around satisfaction with care provided to their relative.

• The experiences of LDCs with FCPs documented in this study point to the possible necessity for the development of novel interventions designed to improve and enhance communication and collaboration between FCPs in residential care and informal caregivers. Such interventions could, for example, include awareness training for FCPs that outlines how to regularly engage with informal caregivers and the details FCPs should communicate to informal caregivers about their CR’s care provision and health status.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute on Aging (PI: Horowitz: R21-AG050018). Falzarano acknowledges support from a NIA-funded T32 training program grant (AG049666).