A Proposed Theoretical Framework Addressing the Effects of Informal Caregivers on Health-Related Outcomes of Elderly Recipients in Home Health Care

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this review is to develop a theoretical framework addressing the effects of informal caregivers on health-related outcomes of elderly recipients in home health care.

Methods The investigator a) reviewed theories and literature related to informal caregiving and health-related outcomes of elderly recipients, b) critiqued the strengths and limitations of these theories and literature for research in this area, and c) developed a new conceptual framework by deductively applying these theories and literature to the effects of informal caregivers on health-related outcomes of elderly recipients in home health care.

Results Social network theories, social support theories, and the literature on informal caregiving are useful in understanding how informal caregivers affect the outcomes of elderly recipients in home health care. This review synthesizes these theories and literature into a new theoretical framework in order to fully address the effects of informal caregivers on health-related outcomes of elderly recipients in home health care.

Conclusion The proposed theoretical framework suggests that health-related outcomes of elderly recipients are the result of interactions among types of informal caregivers, the nature of the caregiving relationship, caregiving as a function of such relationships, and the internal processes of the care recipient.