ABSTRACTBackground:Access to social support contributes to feelings of independence and better social health. This qualitative study aims to investigate multi-informant perspectives on informal social support in dementia care networks. METHODS: Ten spousal caregivers of people with dementia (PwD) completed an ecogram, a social network card and a semi-structured interview. The ecogram aimed to trigger subjective experiences regarding social support. Subsequently, 17 network members were interviewed. The qualitative analyses identified codes, categories, and themes. RESULTS: Sixth themes emerged: (1) barriers to ask for support; (2) facilitators to ask for support; (3) barriers to offer support; (4) facilitators to offer support; (5) a mismatch between supply and demand of social support; and (6) openness in communication to repair the imbalance. DISCUSSION: Integrating social network perspectives resulted in a novel model identifying a mismatch between the supply and demand of social support, strengthened by a cognitive bias: caregivers reported to think for other social network members and vice versa. Openness in communication in formal and informal care systems might repair this mismatch.
ABSTRACTBackground:Access to social support contributes to feelings of independence and better social health. This qualitative study aims to investigate multi-informant perspectives on informal social support in dementia care networks. METHODS: Ten spousal caregivers of people with dementia (PwD) completed an ecogram, a social network card and a semi-structured interview. The ecogram aimed to trigger subjective experiences regarding social support. Subsequently, 17 network members were interviewed. The qualitative analyses identified codes, categories, and themes. RESULTS: Sixth themes emerged: (1) barriers to ask for support; (2) facilitators to ask for support; (3) barriers to offer support; (4) facilitators to offer support; (5) a mismatch between supply and demand of social support; and (6) openness in communication to repair the imbalance. DISCUSSION: Integrating social network perspectives resulted in a novel model identifying a mismatch between the supply and demand of social support, strengthened by a cognitive bias: caregivers reported to think for other social network members and vice versa. Openness in communication in formal and informal care systems might repair this mismatch.
Authors: Alieske E H Dam; Hannah L Christie; Claudia M J Smeets; Martin P J van Boxtel; Frans R J Verhey; Marjolein E de Vugt Journal: Internet Interv Date: 2018-11-03
Authors: Liselot Kerpershoek; Claire Wolfs; Frans Verhey; Hannah Jelley; Bob Woods; Anja Bieber; Gabriele Bartoszek; Astrid Stephan; Geir Selbaek; Siren Eriksen; Britt-Marie Sjölund; Louise Hopper; Kate Irving; Maria J Marques; Manuel Gonçalves-Pereira; Daniel Portolani; Orazio Zanetti; Marjolein Vugt Journal: Health Soc Care Community Date: 2019-07-10
Authors: Alieske E H Dam; Martin P J van Boxtel; Nico Rozendaal; Frans R J Verhey; Marjolein E de Vugt Journal: PLoS One Date: 2017-09-08 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Sara Marceglia; Michael Rigby; Albert Alonso; Debbie Keeling; Lutz Kubitschke; Giuseppe Pozzi Journal: Biomed Eng Online Date: 2018-09-12 Impact factor: 2.819