Unseen and unheard: needs of older spousal caregivers in Alzheimer's care without national support programs.
Background and Objectives Older spousal caregivers are a significant part of the family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and, due to their unique situation, have their own specific support needs. However, little is known about their needs, particularly in countries without int...
| Publicado en: | Gerontologist Vol. 66; no. 7; pp. 1 - 12 |
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| Autores principales: | , , , , , |
| Formato: | Artículo |
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Oxford University Press / USA
Jul2026
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=195281448&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 195281448 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 00169013 GET jtl: Gerontologist issn: 00169013 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Jul2026 vid: 66 iid: 7 pid: 622 pub: Oxford University Press / USA artinfo: ui: 195281448 10.1093/geront/gnag121 ppf: 1 ppct: 11 formats: tig: atl: Unseen and unheard: needs of older spousal caregivers in Alzheimer's care without national support programs. aug: au: Sadeghi-Mahalli, Nasim Mohammadi-Shahboulaghi, Farahnaz Arsalani, Narges Fallahi-Khoshknab, Masoud Foroughan, Mahshid Atazadeh, Musa affil: Nursing Department, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran Nursing Department, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, IranIranian Research Center on Aging, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran Geriatric Department, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran Memory Clinic, Iran Dementia and Alzheimer's Association, Tehran, Iran su: Iran Qualitative research Spouses Content analysis Interviewing Caregivers Old age Alzheimer's disease Services for caregivers Judgment sampling Research methodology Medical needs assessment Grounded theory sug: subj: Qualitative research Spouses Content analysis Interviewing Caregivers Old age Iran Alzheimer's disease Services for caregivers Judgment sampling Research methodology Medical needs assessment Grounded theory keyword: alzheimer's disease Caregiver support caregivers copyrightHolder:The Gerontological Society of America copyrightYear:2026 Dementia https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnag121 inLanguage:en Older spousal caregivers publisher:Oxford University Press sameAs:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42242169/ Support needs alzheimer's disease Caregiver support caregivers copyrightHolder:The Gerontological Society of America copyrightYear:2026 Dementia https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnag121 inLanguage:en Older spousal caregivers publisher:Oxford University Press sameAs:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42242169/ Support needs ab: Background and Objectives Older spousal caregivers are a significant part of the family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and, due to their unique situation, have their own specific support needs. However, little is known about their needs, particularly in countries without integrated formal support systems, such as Iran. Identifying the actual support needs of these caregivers leads to the design of effective interventions. This study aimed to explore and conceptualize the support needs of older spousal caregivers of people with AD. Research Design and Methods This qualitative investigation employed Graneheim and Lundman's conventional content analysis approach. Overall, 10 caregivers (seven wives and three husbands, mean age = 68.6, SD = 6.7) were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews and field notes. Data collection and analysis were performed concurrently until conceptual saturation was achieved. Trustworthiness was ensured through Lincoln and Guba's criteria. Results The overarching theme, "Need to be seen and heard," emerged from the data, encompassing six main categories and 17 subcategories. Key categories included the need for multidimensional education as an older caregiver, preserving spousal identity amid the caregiver role, responsible family involvement, social understanding and support, government support services related to AD, and a supportive health care team. Discussion and Implications The findings highlight that older spousal caregivers have individual and complex support needs that must be promptly addressed. Health practitioners and policymakers can utilize these insights to design targeted support programs and interventions for these older caregivers, particularly in resource-constrained settings. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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