Positieve ervaringen door mantelzorg: constructie van een schaal

This critical review of 29 studies published through 1996 on the gain experienced among informal caregivers of older adults, identifies 13 conceptual (i.e., definitions and theoretical frameworks) and methodological (i.e., sampling, design, measurement, analysis) observations. Key limitations of prior research are highlighted and recommendations necessary for the advancement of research in this area of inquiry are made. Drawing upon relevant theoretical frameworks and the observations noted in this review, a conceptual framework is proposed to bring some consistency to the ways in which future research on positive aspects of caregiving proceeds. Show more

To improve understanding of the nature and magnitude of the burden of informal care and also to indicate important areas for improving the current ways in which informal care is investigated. Information on objective burden (such as care tasks performed and time investment), subjective burden (using the Caregiver Reaction Assessment instrument and a self-rated burden score), and quality of life (using the EuroQoL instrument) were collected in a postal questionnaire of 153 informal caregivers who provide care for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Caregivers had been caring for the RA patients on average for >11 years, reflecting the chronic nature of RA. They provide a substantial amount of care (27.4 hours per week) and are moderately strained (24.6 on the self-rated burden scale). Caregivers are relatively healthy on average but caregivers of more severe RA patients are relatively unhealthy, which may indicate health losses due to caregiving. Informal care can be burdensome in the context of RA. More information may help assist informal caregivers in caring for RA patients and help to avoid health problems and high subjective burden. Show more