AI Article Synopsis
- - The study highlights the critical role of home and community-based services (HCBS) for Veterans, particularly in easing the burden on family caregivers, but notes that these services are underutilized despite the resources available through the VA.
- - Researchers conducted interviews with 23 caregivers of Veterans to identify unmet needs and barriers to accessing HCBS, uncovering themes such as the need for timely information, limited caregiver time (especially during COVID-19), desire for respite, and challenges in the caregiver-patient relationship.
- - The findings suggest that besides common barriers like service delays and caregiver stress, disagreements between Veterans and their caregivers can hinder access to HCBS, indicating that a comprehensive strategy is needed to improve service utilization.
Article Abstract
Background: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has long recognized the importance of having a rich complement of home and community-based resources for the Veteran population. For Veterans experiencing disability-related impairments, home- and community-based services (HCBS) facilitate aging in place and alleviate family caregivers' burden. However, even in the enriched VA context, HCBS are underutilized. Our objective was to understand unmet needs and barriers to accessing HCBS from the perspectives of Veterans' family caregivers.
Methods: This multi-method study recruited family caregivers of Veterans seen within a major VA Health Care System. Eligible caregivers provided care for at least 8 h/week in the prior 6 months, to a Veteran with 1+ impairments in instrumental activities of daily living. Recruitment was conducted via flyers, physician referrals, registries, and chart reviews. Participants completed 1-h semi-structured interviews to assess unmet psychosocial needs and barriers to accessing VA and non-VA HCBS. Interviews were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach.
Results: A total of 23 caregivers (62.9 + 13.5 years; 74% women; 52.2% White; 26.1% Black; 95.2% pre-9/11) provided 8.4 ± 6.3 h of daily care. Most had provided care for more than 1 year; nine had cared for their Veteran for 5+ years. The following themes were identified: (1) need for clear, accurate, timely information about HCBS; (2) lack of time, amplified by COVID-19 restrictions; (3) need for respite to manage their own health and other caregiving responsibilities; and (4) perceived difference in care needs that can strain caregivers' relationship with the care recipient.
Conclusions: In addition to known barriers including lack of timely knowledge, service delays, and caregiver stress, Veteran-caregiver disagreements emerged as a novel barrier to using HCBS. A multi-pronged approach that addresses these barriers may increase timely access to HCBS.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jgs.19051 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!