When is the best time to deliver supportive interventions to hospice family caregivers? A Multi-Method Study

When is the best time to deliver supportive interventions to hospice family caregivers? A Multi-Method Study
Gerontologist; by Oonjee Oh, Debra Parker Oliver, Karla Washington, George Demiris; 2/25
While problem-solving interventions can teach caregivers effective coping skills throughout hospice, the optimal timing for introducing such resources remains unclear. We explored how the timing of a problem-solving intervention impacts its effectiveness for hospice caregivers. We conducted a multi-method study analyzing quantitative and qualitative data from a randomized clinical trial of a Problem-solving Intervention to Support Caregivers in End-of-life care Settings (PISCES)... Caregivers' anxiety showed significant pre-post differences regardless of the intervention timing, modality, and components... Three themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: timing for PISCES to be most effective, emotions during various stages of hospice, and the length of PISCES. Strategically integrating PISCES into hospice practice can help alleviate caregivers' distress.