IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v21y2024i10p1348-d1496754.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Perceived Importance of Types and Characteristics of Support to Informal Caregivers among Spouse Caregivers of Persons with Dementia in Sweden: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire-Based Study

Author

Listed:
  • Marcus F. Johansson

    (School of Health and Welfare, Dalarna University, 791 88 Falun, Sweden)

  • Kevin J. McKee

    (School of Health and Welfare, Dalarna University, 791 88 Falun, Sweden)

  • Lena Dahlberg

    (School of Health and Welfare, Dalarna University, 791 88 Falun, Sweden
    Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm University, 171 65 Solna, Sweden)

  • Christine L. Williams

    (Christine E Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA)

  • Lena Marmstål Hammar

    (School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, 721 23 Västerås, Sweden)

Abstract

Informal caregivers play a crucial role in the care of individuals with dementia, and their caregiving may significantly impact their own health and well-being. This cross-sectional survey study focuses on the perceived importance of various types and characteristics of formal support in a convenience sample of caregivers aged 65 years or older (N = 175) caring for a spouse with dementia. Participants completed a questionnaire containing 17 items describing different types of support and 12 items describing different characteristics of support, rating their importance. The questionnaire also contained questions on various caregiving-related factors. Principle components analysis (PCA) was carried out on the importance ratings, separately, on the types of support items and the characteristics of support items. Each PCA produced three components. For types of support, they were Proficiency and Opportunity, Supportive Structures, Flexible Counselling. For characteristics of support, they included Respectful and Competent, Timely Support, and Accessible and Acceptable. The three characteristics of the support components all had higher mean importance ratings than the three types of support components. The content of some components indicated that while spouse caregivers rate support for their caregiving needs as important, they may not always differentiate their own needs from those of their partner with dementia. The negative impact of caregiving was the factor most strongly and consistently associated with the components’ importance ratings. This study emphasizes the need for health and social care providers to address the unique needs of spouse caregivers while simultaneously ensuring the delivery of quality care for individuals with dementia.

Suggested Citation

  • Marcus F. Johansson & Kevin J. McKee & Lena Dahlberg & Christine L. Williams & Lena Marmstål Hammar, 2024. "Perceived Importance of Types and Characteristics of Support to Informal Caregivers among Spouse Caregivers of Persons with Dementia in Sweden: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire-Based Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(10), pages 1-16, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:10:p:1348-:d:1496754
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/10/1348/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/10/1348/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. P.L. de Zwart & P. Bakx & E.K.A. van Doorslaer, 2017. "Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm 64? The health impact of caregiving to one's spouse," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(S2), pages 127-138, September.
    2. André Hajek & Benedikt Kretzler & Hans-Helmut König, 2021. "Informal Caregiving, Loneliness and Social Isolation: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-12, November.
    3. Marcus F. Johansson & Kevin J. McKee & Lena Dahlberg & Martina Summer Meranius & Christine L. Williams & Lena Marmstål Hammar, 2022. "Negative Impact and Positive Value of Caregiving in Spouse Carers of Persons with Dementia in Sweden," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-13, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Giorgio Di Gessa & Christian Deindl, 2024. "Determinants of trajectories of informal caregiving in later life: evidence from England," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Rellstab, Sara & Bakx, Pieter & García-Gómez, Pilar & van Doorslaer, Eddy, 2020. "The kids are alright - labour market effects of unexpected parental hospitalisations in the Netherlands," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    3. Brenna, Elenka, 2021. "Should I care for my mum or for my kid? Sandwich generation and depression burden in Italy," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(3), pages 415-423.
    4. Longobardo, Luz María Peña & Rodríguez-Sánchez, Beatriz & Oliva, Juan, 2023. "Does becoming an informal caregiver make your health worse? A longitudinal analysis across Europe," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    5. Costi, Chiara & Hollingsworth, Bruce & O'Sullivan, Vincent & Zucchelli, Eugenio, 2023. "Does caring for others affect our mental health? Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 321(C).
    6. Adèle Gauthier & Cécile Lagarde & France Mourey & Patrick Manckoundia, 2022. "Use of Digital Tools, Social Isolation, and Lockdown in People 80 Years and Older Living at Home," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-18, March.
    7. Coe, Norma B. & Goda, Gopi Shah & Van Houtven, Courtney Harold, 2023. "Family spillovers and long-term care insurance," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    8. Signe A. Abrahamsen & Maja Weemes Grøtting, 2023. "Formal care of the elderly and health outcomes among adult daughters," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(2), pages 436-461, February.
    9. David McDaid & A-La Park, 2022. "Understanding the Economic Value and Impacts on Informal Carers of People Living with Mental Health Conditions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-15, March.
    10. Fazila Aloweni & Kinjal Doshi & Stephanie Fook‐Chong & Rahul Malhotra & Truls Østbye, 2019. "The types of caregiving reactions experienced by the older spouse caregivers," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(23-24), pages 4538-4548, December.
    11. Eibich, Peter, 2023. "Instrumental variable estimates of the burden of parental caregiving," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 26(C).
    12. Sean Urwin & Yiu‐Shing Lau & Gunn Grande & Matt Sutton, 2023. "Informal caregiving, time use and experienced wellbeing," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(2), pages 356-374, February.
    13. Katharina Dost & Fabian Heinrich & Wiebke Graf & Anna Brennecke & Veronika Kowalski & Anna Leider & Anika Kraus & Victoria van Rüth & Benjamin Ondruschka & Klaus Püschel & Hans-Helmut König & Franzisk, 2022. "Predictors of Loneliness among Homeless Individuals in Germany during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-11, October.
    14. Bom, Judith & Bakx, Pieter & Schut, Frederik & van Doorslaer, Eddy, 2019. "Health effects of caring for and about parents and spouses," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 14(C).
    15. Ludovico Carrino & Vahé Nafilyan & Mauricio Avendano, 2023. "Should I Care or Should I Work? The Impact of Work on Informal Care," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(2), pages 424-455, March.
    16. Carrino, L.; & Nafilyan, V.; & Avendaño Pabon, M.;, 2019. "Should I Care or Should I Work? The Impact of Working in Older Age on Caregiving," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 19/23, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    17. Andrew Wormald & Eimear McGlinchey & Maureen D’Eath & Iracema Leroi & Brian Lawlor & Philip McCallion & Mary McCarron & Roger O’Sullivan & Yaohua Chen, 2023. "Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Caregivers of People with an Intellectual Disability, in Comparison to Carers of Those with Other Disabilities and with Mental Health Issues: A Multicountry Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-14, February.
    18. Marie Blaise & Sandrine Juin & Hélène Le Forner & Quitterie Roquebert, 2024. "I care, you clean? Gendered effects of informal care on couple housework and leisure time," LISER Working Paper Series 2024-05, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER).
    19. Stöckel, Jannis & Bom, Judith, 2022. "Revisiting longer-term health effects of informal caregiving: Evidence from the UK," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 21(C).
    20. Patrick Janson & Kristina Willeke & Lisa Zaibert & Andrea Budnick & Anne Berghöfer & Sarah Kittel-Schneider & Peter U. Heuschmann & Andreas Zapf & Manfred Wildner & Carolin Stupp & Thomas Keil, 2022. "Mortality, Morbidity and Health-Related Outcomes in Informal Caregivers Compared to Non-Caregivers: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-25, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:10:p:1348-:d:1496754. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.