Recruiting Older Adults, Caregivers for Research (Research, Gerontology Video 1:57)

Recruiting older adults for research can get complicated if those being recruited can’t drive, have no transportation, don’t feel well, are easily confused, have busy caregivers, and distrust strangers asking them certain questions. One place to start is to decide on the best way to deliver a recruitment appeal that would entice them to respond and cooperate. Letters and phone calls come to mind.

This study on recruiting older adults for research compared the results of using two versions of a letter followed by two versions of a phone call with the cooperation rate of their doing face to face surveys. A total of 2,014 caregiving units (composed of an older adult, a family member and a home care worker) were randomly sampled from a list of long-term care insurance beneficiaries. Of this group, 74.32% of the sampled caregiving units were eligible to participate in the study. These are the three types of appeals used:

1)   Group 1 received formal written and oral appeals and an advanced letter followed by a recruitment phone call.

2)   Group 2 received the original formal letter, but a revised, more personal recruitment phone call that included broader and more positive information.

3)   Group 3 received both a revised advanced letter and a revised more personal recruitment phone call.

What were the results in terms of cooperation?

1)   Group 1: The cooperation rate for the formal written and oral appeal was about 50% for the entire caregiving unit.

2)   Group 2: The revised advanced letter and revised, more personal recruitment phone call yielded an increase of 20-25% in the cooperation rate for the entire caregiving unit.

3)   Group 3: Using the original advanced letter and the revised, more personal recruitment phone call yielded an increase in the cooperation rate only among migrant home care workers.

    Conclusion: By changing the format of appeal, the cooperation rate of older adults and their caregivers in a research survey can be increased. This study also pointed out the importance of sending an advance letter.

The Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan brings together science and service to advance the cause of aging research. Its multidisciplinary faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and pre-doctoral trainees focus on the social and behavioral aspects of lifespan health and cognitive development. Dedicated to promoting successful aging, the Institute of Gerontology combines research and outreach to make life better for older adults everywhere. This video features many fine aspects of the program.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Adult Day Care Services Benefit Caregivers and Participants (Research, Video 6:11)

I recently had a fantastic time at an adult day care center for people with dementia. After a brief tour of the facility, I heard strains of a lively version of “When the Saints Go Marching In” coming from the activity room. A New Orleans native, I was not going to miss joining in whatever was going on there. What was going on was a small parade of participants who lured me right into the festivities. We were marching, singing, and clapping to a joyful beat as if our lives depended on it. In some ways, they did. For many who had been homebound often before joining that center, their lives were truly enhanced by being there. Going to day care, socializing with friends, having great meals, and participating in engaging activities had opened up a new world for them. And a new world for caregivers had also become available.

Lagniappe (lan-yap) is known as a free treat in New Orleans. For example, it could be a surprise mint candy at the bottom of your carryout bag. Good adult day care services have lagniappe as well. In addition to the rewards provided for participants at the center, family caregivers, especially those caregiving individuals with dementia, receive healthy intangible treats that make their lives better. Research on caregivers indicates that, on adult day care days, caregivers had lower exposure to care-related stressors, more positive experiences, and more noncare stressors. Using adult day care services lowered caregivers’ anger and reduced the impact  of noncore stressors on depressive symptoms. That’s a lot of lagniappe and an important endorsement of the positive impact of these services. Review examples of adult day care  benefits for caregivers and participants featured on this video:

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Caregiver Resentment: Would They Do It Again? (Research, Video 3:09)

Let’s be real about caregiving. Some caregivers feel depressed, guilty, and trapped in a hole with no way out, except the death of persons in their care. Maybe they were the only siblings living near the parents, the only relatives or friends with resources to provide care, or the only persons willing to step up when others refused. Whatever their reasons, they became caregivers reluctantly, never fully embracing the responsibility, and made the most of the situation. If they had a choice, would they do it again? Some say they would not.

In a study reported in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, factors associated with an unwillingness to become caregivers again were reviewed. Former caregivers of palliative care patients were interviewed. Comparisons between those who would do caregiving again and those who would not were made with these results:

1)   One in 13 (7.4%) former caregivers indicated that they would not provide such care again.

2)   One in six (16.5%) would only "probably care again."

3)   Increasing age lessens the willingness to care again and so does lower levels of education.

4)   Despite most active caregivers being willing to provide care again, a

proportion would not.

This video about relieving stress while caring for an aging parent or spouse presents ways for caregivers to cope.

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog