A phenomenological-hermeneutic study exploring caring responsibility for a chronically ill, older parent with frailty.
Helle Elisabeth Andersen, Bente Hoeck, Dorthe Susanne Nielsen and 2 others
PMID 32587713WHAT IT FOUND
Adult children caring for frail parents living alone described it as a constant, uncertain condition of life.
They balanced love and duty, managed hospital and home care, and worried enough to suffer insomnia and strain.
Key findings
01Caring responsibility for a frail older parent was described as a condition of life filled with uncertainty, made up of balancing love and duty, advocating and managing care, and experiencing concern and bodily strain.
02Adult children often took on the role of advocate and manager, supervising care and mediating with health and social services.
03Caring responsibility was accompanied by constant concern and bodily strain, including insomnia, nervousness and forgetfulness.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 12 adult children were studied, and they were selected through a geriatric department, so their views may not represent all family caregivers. Parents with dementia were excluded, so the findings do not describe caring responsibility for parents with cognitive impairment. Four participants did not complete the diary because of distress and lack of time, and ten interviews were by telephone, which may limit the depth of some accounts. The study describes experiences and meanings; it did not measure patient outcomes, compare treatments, or test whether involving adult children improves care. It was conducted in Denmark, where home care and home nursing are publicly funded, so the findings may not transfer to systems with different family or service expectations.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the advocacy examples as proof that involving adult children improves care. The study did not measure patient outcomes or compare any service model.