Interventions for quality of life and related outcomes among unpaid caregivers of older adults with visual impairments: A scoping review

Abstract

Unpaid family caregivers play a critical role in the care of older adults with visual impairments. Caring for older adults with visual impairments requires much time and energy, often resulting in psychological stress and reduced quality of life for the unpaid caregiver. However, there is a paucity of data on the impact of caregiving on quality of life and related outcomes among these caregivers. The purpose of this study was to conduct a scoping review examining issues of quality of life, health, stress, burden, and barriers among unpaid caregivers of older adults with visual impairments. The study also aimed to summarize interventions for addressing these issues. This study followed the Arksey and O’Malley five-stage approach for scoping reviews. We performed a search of published peer-reviewed articles available in PubMed, CINAHL Complete, and PsycINFO to identify relevant studies. Two reviewers conducted the screening of titles, abstracts, and full-texts. A total of 24 articles were eligible for full-text screening from the 452 records identified, and 5 articles met the final inclusion criteria. The following four themes were identified: (1) prevalence of quality of life–related barriers among unpaid caregivers of older adults with visual impairments; (2) adverse events among unpaid caregivers of older adults with visual impairments; (3) interventions for unpaid caregivers of older adults with visual impairments; and (4) potential impacts of intervention on unpaid caregivers of older adults with visual impairments. These findings point to a lack of interventions for unpaid caregivers of older adults with visual impairments, despite the prevalence of quality of life–related barriers and adverse events in this population. This study aligns with the social model of disability as it relates to the failure of the system to meet the needs of older adults with visual impairments. Research addressing these issues is urgently needed.

Quality of Life and Related Outcomes Among Unpaid Caregivers of Older Adults With Visual Impairment

“…This finding may relate to the characteristics of the sample utilized in this study, including their relatively youthful age, types of care provided to the older adults with visual impairments (i.e., only about 20% provide daily care), as well as the duration of time the family caregiver had been in their role (i.e., more than 53% had been in the role for less than 3 years). Older age, more time spent providing care, and longer duration as a family caregiver have all been shown to negatively impact family EQ-5D and related outcomes, including well-being (Hazzan et al, 2021a(Hazzan et al, , 2021bHeesterbeek et al, 2017;White et al, 2004). Among other implications, this may be the reason for the high percentage (77.69%) of family caregivers who said they were satisfied with their lives as well as those who indicated that they are in good spirits most of the time (72.31%).…”

“…Providing care for older adults with chronic illnesses and disabilities is incredibly stressful, and many family caregivers feel enormous pressure to provide the best possible care for their loved ones (Hazzan et al, 2021a(Hazzan et al, , 2021b. As the population of older adults in the USA increases, the prevalence of chronic illnesses and disabilities, including visual impairment, is expected to rise (Mather et al, 2015).…”

“…According to the social model of disability, although physical, sensory, intellectual, or psychological variations may cause individual functional limitations or impairments, these do not necessarily have to lead to disability unless society fails to consider these issues. Deliberate efforts should be made to include people regardless of their individual differences (Hazzan et al, 2021a(Hazzan et al, , 2021bThomas & Corker, 2004;WHO, 2017). Future research should examine the effectiveness of interventions targeting unpaid caregivers of older adults with visual impairments to mitigate the challenges faced by family caregivers.…”

“…The challenges that unpaid caregivers face are especially heightened when their care recipient suffers from chronic disease or impairments that require special attention (Hazzan et al, 2022). Caring for older adults with visual impairments, for example, places similar demands as caring for an older adult with dementia (Hazzan et al, 2021a(Hazzan et al, , 2021bVaradaraj et al, 2020). This is significant because age-related vision deficits are common, with an estimated 252.6 million people globally with bestcorrected vision at 20/60 or worse (Bourne et al, 2017).…”

“…Currently, there is limited research examining how the quality of life of unpaid caregivers for older adults with visual impairments is affected by their caregiving responsibilities (Hazzan et al, 2021a(Hazzan et al, , 2021bVaradaraj et al, 2020). Research on the quality of life of unpaid caregivers, in general, is applicable and a rationale for our study in addition to the gap in the literature.…”