Caregiving Styles

Mary A Corcoran PhD, OT/LProfessor and Associate DeanGeorge Washington University

Why Study Caregiving

Styles?

“If you’ve seen one caregiver, you’ve seen

one caregiver”

The Caregiving Style Studies

Spouses (68)5 yearsNational Institute on Aging

Adult children (33)1 yearVirginia Commonwealth,

ARDRAF

Mixed Methods Design

• QUAL-quant• Grounded theory

Focusing on qualitative analysis today

Data

• Qualitative• Long interview (250+ total

hours)• Videotapes (33+ total hours)

• Quantitative• Sociodemographics• Measures of well-being

Qualitative Analytic Approach

Three iterative tasks

Coding Describe what is going on

Categories Identify larger “parts”

Theme Develop a theory of caregiving style

Getting from Codes to Categories

Coding – unlinked descriptions of data

Categories – arrange codes as hierarchies

Hierarchies of what?

Style

Actions

Meanings

Beliefs

Categories: Elements of Style

Beliefs

What is …?

Meanings

The role signifies …?

Actions

Caregiving gets done by …?

Themes (styles)

Categories (elements of style)

Action: Taking Care of Self

Looking at data as a whole, caregivers take care of self by

Reducing demands of role

Doing something important

Getting healthy

Staying connected

Taking Care of Self

Has strategies

Meets needs

Does not meet needs

No strategies

Does not meet needs

Three groups

Compare and contrast through axial codingCausesConsequencesContextConditions

Example: Exercise and Conditions

CR not OK

alone

CR OK alone

Help

No exercise

Exercise

Example: Exercise and Consequences

• Other causes & contexts

• Worried• Feels

Selfish

• Energized• Grateful

• Frustrated• Resentful

No help or

exercise

Help & exercise

Help & no

exercise

No help but

exercises

Four Caregiving Styles

Facilitating Directing Balancing Advocating

PriorityEmotional

health, identity of CR

StrategyAnything that involves self

InteractionCooperative

NeedsRecognizes but doesn’t address

own needs

EmotionsWorries about

ability to provide best care

Facilitating Caregiver

PriorityPhysical health

of CR

StrategyVerbal

InteractionLimited or none

NeedsRecognized

needs limited to work

EmotionsFrustrated and

stressed

Directing Caregiver

PriorityMaintaining the

status quo

StrategyEnvironmental

controls, supervision,

repetitive activities

InteractionParallel

NeedsHas help and meets

own needs

EmotionsGenerally satisfied with care provision

Balancing Caregiver

PriorityManaging others

to support CR

StrategyVigilance and

advocacy

InteractionRange with purpose of

assessment

NeedsHas help and meets own

needs

EmotionsGenerally

satisfied with care provision

Advocating Caregiver

Conclusion

• Caregivers may - demonstrate a mix of styles- change over time; circumstances

• Understanding priorities of caregiver regarding self and care recipient is key

Caveats

• Styles are a guide, not a prescription

• Theory - Requires further testing

Corcoran, M.A. (2011). Caregiving Styles: A Cognitive and Behavioral Typology Associated With Dementia Family Caregiving. The Gerontologist 51, 4, 463-472. doi:10.1093/geront/gnr002

Reference