By
Hilary Gibson, Staff Writer
Virginia Tech’s Center for Gerontology Research
conducted a study in 2000 of approximately 200 caregivers of older
adults living in rural areas in southwest Virginia. While it’s a
recognized fact that caregiving isn’t restricted to just those who
care only for the elderly, this study is one that clearly shows the
needs, frustrations, and experiences that all rural caregivers go
through, no matter the age, disability or circumstance of the person
for whom they care. One of the more interesting facts that the study
uncovered was something specific only to rural caregivers. Young
people tend to move away from rural areas for education
opportunities or for better employment, leaving the rural community
with fewer and fewer potential, future caregivers. Their urban and
suburban caregiving counterparts don’t really have to concern
themselves with this happening, since major migration away from
heavier, populated areas rarely occurs.
Distance and isolation are a continual theme
among rural caregivers, posing a significant problem for them to
receive proper preparation for their role as caregiver. In rural
areas, caregivers have the least amount of access to outreach
programs and community services than any other caregiver group. This
is why certain investigations, such as the nursing-intervention
study, Home Care Training for Family Caregivers of Rural Elders,
conducted by principal investigator Mary Ann Rosswurm, EdD, RN, CS,
FAAN and co-investigator, June H. Larrabee, PhD, RN are so
important. Perhaps the findings of such studies will compel local,
state, and federal government to find ways to begin easing the
burden placed upon the shoulders of rural caregivers. By conducting
small, in-home training sessions and groups for rural caregivers,
either through video teleconferencing or onsite instruction,
significantly positive changes occurred. According to the findings,
these training sessions made rural caregivers more aware of their
own resourcefulness, plus gave them new ideas and knowledge, helping
them to feel more competent about their capabilities as a
caregiver. It didn’t seem to matter if the caregiver received
needed information through in-home, onsite instruction, or through
video teleconferencing, because there was not a significant
difference in outcome for either group. The main issue was that the
rural caregivers received information and education that not only
helped them to feel better about themselves, but improved their
quality of life as well.
Other studies have been done
primarily in Canada, since there is still so much rural area
throughout the country. While these studies are helpful in
knowing certain outcomes, the changes in policy that may come
about unfortunately are not yet being instituted in our own
country. Quite recently, Canada added rural palliative care
programs to their formal health care system, enabling people in
rural areas with terminal illness to receive proper pain
management. Although this program has been developed with
the best of intentions, there are some serious drawbacks to it,
including the long distances involved with caring for a patient,
weather adversities and severities, and difficulty in finding
the resources needed in a rural area to properly support a
patient and the family caregivers. The main goal of this
program, as with any rural health care program, is to keep the
patient in their familiar environment for as long as possible.
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