Qualitative exploration of the experiences of informal care-givers for dependent older adults in Mexico City

Bibliographic Data

ID11201199
AuthorsLiliana Giraldo-Rodriguez, Liliana Giraldo‐Rodríguez (0000-0001-6541-865X, Secretaria de Salud), Nathalia Guevara-Jaramillo (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico), Marcela Agudelo-Botero (0000-0002-4489-4224, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico), Dolores Mino-León, Dolores Mino‐León (0000-0002-5144-2728, Secretaria de Salud), Mariana López-Ortega (0000-0001-9869-3308, Secretaria de Salud, corresponding author)
Year2019
Volume39
Issue11
Pages2377-2396
Publication date2019-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAgeing and Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0144-686X • E-ISSN: 1469-1779
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0144686x18000478
OpenAlexW2883762173
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited19

Population ageing and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and their consequences, changes in family structure and a decrease in the potential pool of family care, increase the need for formal long-term care for older adults in Mexico, and the need to understand the experiences of informal care-givers and how this impacts their social, family and personal conditions. This study investigates the experience of informal care-givers of dependent older adults using a cross-sectional qualitative study with an ethnographic focus. Thematic analysis was performed. The study comprised 48 semi-structured interviews with care-givers of dependent older adults who are beneficiaries of an in-home medical programme in Mexico City. The average age of care-givers was 54.7 years (standard deviation = 13.1, range = 24–86) and 75 per cent (36) were women. Results show care-giving experiences are diverse and complex, and profoundly affect the care-giver's life in terms of emotional burden, health deterioration and adverse life conditions due to economic deprivation. They also revealed key aspects such as the need to improve communication between care-givers and health-care personnel, the need for training about specific care needs and opportunity costs incurred. This information can serve as a basis for generating support strategies that may be integrated into the in-home programme. It is essential to promote actions that consider the ‘dependent older adult–informal care-giver’ dyad, and that aim to reduce the care-giving burden

Affect (linguistics) · Business · Dyad · Economic growth · Environmental health · Focus group · Health care · Population · Population ageing · Qualitative research · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Aging, Health, and Disability · Health disparities and outcomes · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Social Psychology · Gerontology

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