Improving Outcomes of Hospitalized Elders and Caregivers

More than 12 million elderly people are hospitalized each year in the United Status, frequently resulting in functional decline. Family care of hospitalized elders is important given the increasing numbers of hospitalized elders, needs for elder care in the home after hospital discharge, and responsibilities of family caregivers for providing this care. Involving family caregivers in the hospital care of their loved one may result in positive outcomes for both the elderly patients and their family caregivers. However, there is a paucity of empirical studies that have been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to enhance family participation in caring for hospitalized elders. In the proposed study, we will build upon our prior work that has demonstrated the positive effects of theoretically-driven interventions with families of hospitalized patients and older adults at home. Among the unique contributions of this study include: (a) a randomized controlled design, (b) testing of a theoretically-driven, reproducible intervention that can be easily translated into clinical practice and widely disseminated; (c) the testing of an explanatory model to explain the effects of the intervention, (d) a prospective cost-effectiveness analysis; and (e) an intervention that begins early in the hospital stay, and (f) measurement of both short- and more long-term outcomes, up to 2 months following hospital discharge.

The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of a theoretically-driven, reproducible intervention (CARE: Creating Avenues for Relative Empowerment) on the process and outcomes of hospitalized elders and their family caregivers. The secondary aims are to: (a) explore what factors moderate the effects of the intervention program (e.g., social economic status and family preferences for care participation); and (b) determine the cost-effectiveness of the CARE program. A two-group experiment will be used with 280 family caregivers of hospitalized elders. Measures of both process and outcome variables will be included, such as family caregiver beliefs, anxiety, worry, depression, role outcomes, as well as elderly patients outcomes during hospitalization and after hospital discharge. Findings from a recent pilot study with 49 family caregiver-elders dyads support undertaking this full-scale clinical trial in that family caregivers who received the CARE program, versus those who received a comparison program, had more positive coping and role outcomes and their hospitalized elderly relatives had positive outcomes during and after hospitalization.

Inclusion criteria

Family CGs

• age of 21 years or above;
• have an elderly relative (65 years or above) admitted to the three study units within the past 24-48 hours; (c) are related to the patient by blood, marriage, adoption, or affinity as a significant other (e.g., life partner, close friend);
• are primary CGs;
• can read and speak English; and
• live within a 1-hour drive of the facility (60 miles).

Exclusion criteria

Family CGS

• paid care providers;
• unable to complete the questionnaires or provide care because of their own mental or physical impairment;

Patient:

• dies during the hospital stay or within 2 months after discharge;
• is transferred from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and stayed in the ICU for more than 2 nights;
• is diagnosed with dementia;
• is admitted from a long-term care facility; and
• is hospitalized for longer than 30 days
• is staying longer than 6 weeks in a nursing home immediately after hospitalization.