The development and validation of the Dementia Quality of Life Scale for Older Family Carers (DQoL-OC)

Oliveira, Déborah; Vass, Catherine D.; Aubeeluck, Aimée

doi:10.1080/13607863.2017.1293004

Cited by 17 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 46 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Since the supportive and complementing strategy was most commonly applied, such costs to carers may be extensive and could represent a threat to the resource they provide to services. Personal costs to the family carer are described in other studies [ 75 , 76 ]—such as heavy carer burdens [ 77 – 80 ], negative health effects [ 81 , 82 ], and reduced quality of life [ 83 , 84 ]. It is well known that many family carers of older adults living with dementia spend significant amounts of time on caring duties and responsibilities [ 48 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Family carers’ involvement strategies in response to sub-optimal health services to older adults living with dementia – a qualitative study

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: While dementia policy strategies emphasize the importance of partnerships between families and formal carers to provide tailored care and effectively allocate community resources, family carers often feel left out or excluded. Poor communication has been identified as one reason for the lack of good partnerships. Few studies have investigated how family carers seek to involve themselves when they experience sub-optimal services, and how their strategies may depend on different considerations and personal abilities. Methods: Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 23 family carers to explore their experiences with, perspectives on, contributions to, and interactions with healthcare services provided to older adults living with dementia. To capture nuances and variations, a semi-structured interview guide was used. Interviews were audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. A four-step analysis of the transcripts was conducted, informed by hermeneutic and phenomenological methodology. Results: Two main involvement strategies were identified: 1) being "the hub in the wheel" and 2) getting the wheel rolling. The first strategy was used to support and complement health services, while the second was used to add momentum and leverage to arguments or processes. The two main strategies were used differently among participants, in part due to differences in personal resources and the ability to utilize these, but also in light of family carers' weighing conflicting concerns and perceived costs and benefits. Conclusions: Awareness and acknowledgment of family carers' strategies, personal resources, and considerations may help policymakers and healthcare personnel when they build or maintain good partnerships together with family carers. A better understanding of family carers' own perspectives on carer involvement is a necessary precursor to developing good care partnerships.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Family carers’ involvement strategies in response to sub-optimal health services to older adults living with dementia – a qualitative study

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Carers’ quality of life (QoL) was assessed using the Dementia Quality of Life Scale for Older Family Carers (DQoL-OC). 22 Carers’ ratings of personal and care recipient’s health were structured as a 5-point Likert-styled scale from 1 = “very good” to 5 = “very poor”, with 3 = “average” as the mid-point, whereas importance placed on ensuring personal and care recipient’s health and well-being were presented as an 11-point visual analogue scale where “0” = “no importance” and 10 = “as much as is necessary”.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Role, Quality of Life and Strategies Used by Older Carers of Older People to Maintain Their Own Health and Well-Being: A National Australian Survey

Lee¹,

Burton²,

Slatyer³

et al. 2022

CIA

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Introduction Carers play a critical role in supporting older people with health problems to remain living at home. This study aimed to understand the role and quality of life of older carers of older people and identify strategies used to manage their own health and well-being. Methods Older carers (aged ≥50 years) of older people (aged ≥65 years) in Australia participated in a cross-sectional survey focused on carer roles, self-rated health, information and activities used to maintain their carer role and health, barriers to accessing health care, and assessment of quality of life (QoL) using the Dementia Quality of Life Scale for Older Family Carers. Multiple regression analysis examined relationships between variables and the QoL outcome. Results The survey was completed by 189 older carers (mean age: 68 years; SD = 9.3). Most were female (83.5%), 80.2% providing care daily and 47.8% provided ≥six hours care daily. Almost half (45.1%) self-reported their health as average or below. Despite rating ensuring personal health as very important (mean importance 8/10), only 46.3% reported receiving support from their general practitioner for their carer role. The most common barrier to accessing care for themselves was “not having enough time”. Factors independently associated with poorer carer QoL were living with the care-recipient, caring for someone with depression/anxiety and poor care-recipient health. Factors independently associated with higher carer QoL were placing high importance on personal health, receiving assistance from a specialist clinic as a carer, and older age. Conclusion Older carers of older people provide high levels of care and experience reduced quality of life. Innovative approaches that provide integrated care and support for older carers to promote their QoL are urgently needed.

show abstract

“…This qualitative single-item design formed part of an anonymous paper questionnaire used to develop and validate a QoL tool for older family carers of PwD (Oliveira, Vass, & Aubeeluck, 2018). To take part in the research, individuals needed to be aged 60 and plus and to be providing unpaid care for a family member with dementia at home in the UK at the time of the study.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

What would most help improve the quality of life of older family carers of people with dementia? A qualitative study of carers’ views

2018

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Older family carers of people with dementia provide a substantial amount of care for people with dementia in the UK. Caregiving can be stressful and burdensome for these individuals, who are also experiencing psychological and physical changes resulting from their own ageing process. However, little is known about what impacts their quality of life, how this can be improved and what we should prioritise. This brief report asks one simple question to older family carers of people living with dementia - "What would most help improve your quality of life as a carer?" Qualitative data were collected from 150 carers who completed an anonymous paper survey during the development and validation of a quality of life tool for use with this population (DQoL-OC). Participants were individuals aged 60 and over and were providing care for a family member with dementia at home in the UK. Carers were recruited from a variety of voluntary organizations, community-based carers' groups, health services and via online forums. A thematic approach was used to analyse the carers' comments and three main overarching themes were identified. The quality of life of older family carers can be enhanced by having more time away from caregiving, accessing health and social services that are dementia friendly and by having economic support. Future care, policies and research should aim to address these key areas in order to promote better quality of life for older carers of people with dementia. Further implications for practice, policy and research are discussed.

show abstract

The development and validation of the Dementia Quality of Life Scale for Older Family Carers (DQoL-OC)

Cited by 17 publications

References 46 publications

Family carers’ involvement strategies in response to sub-optimal health services to older adults living with dementia – a qualitative study

Family carers’ involvement strategies in response to sub-optimal health services to older adults living with dementia – a qualitative study

Understanding the Role, Quality of Life and Strategies Used by Older Carers of Older People to Maintain Their Own Health and Well-Being: A National Australian Survey

What would most help improve the quality of life of older family carers of people with dementia? A qualitative study of carers’ views

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About