Role and perspectives of informal care: a qualitative study of informal caregivers in the Republic of Croatia
Objectives Population ageing and the prevalence of multimorbidity represent major challenges for healthcare systems. People who need long-term care have complex conditions requiring both health and social services. Informal caregivers are emerging as an important part of the long-term care ecosystem...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2023-10-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/10/e074454.full |
| _version_ | 1797641154188017664 |
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| author | Aleksandar Dzakula Maja Banadinović Dorja Vočanec Iva Lukačević Lovrenčić Karmen Lončarek |
| author_facet | Aleksandar Dzakula Maja Banadinović Dorja Vočanec Iva Lukačević Lovrenčić Karmen Lončarek |
| author_sort | Aleksandar Dzakula |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives Population ageing and the prevalence of multimorbidity represent major challenges for healthcare systems. People who need long-term care have complex conditions requiring both health and social services. Informal caregivers are emerging as an important part of the long-term care ecosystem. This paper aims to explore the position and capacities of informal caregivers in Croatia.Design Health and social care legislative documents were analysed using a structured set of keywords. In addition, focus groups were conducted with informal caregivers who cared for a family member. The qualitative method of thematic analysis was used.Setting and participants Two focus groups were conducted with 15 caregivers (13 women and 2 men). Geographically, participants came from all four NUTS2 Croatian regions. All participants cared for a close family member. The length of care provision ranged from 3 to 35 years. Focus groups were conducted using the Zoom platform.Results The analysis of the documents indicates the fragmentation of national policy into health and social policy. Long-term care as a term is recognised only in health policy. However, some components related to long-term care are part of social policy. Caregivers are recognised in social policy, although not in healthcare. In focus groups, three main themes were identified as follows: (1) position and role of the caregivers in the system and society; (2) types of care based on the recipient’s need and (3) support for the caregivers.Conclusion The research showed that the process of exercising certain rights and services for caregivers is not sufficiently clear and feasible in practice. There is a lack of a clearly defined role of caregivers and relationships towards professional care providers in the system. The key to improving long-term care is connecting community services, including health and social services, both formal and informal, with the process of providing care. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T13:40:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-82ce7366d64f40d1aed7722c3cf97a7b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T13:40:27Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-82ce7366d64f40d1aed7722c3cf97a7b2023-11-02T13:05:08ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552023-10-01131010.1136/bmjopen-2023-074454Role and perspectives of informal care: a qualitative study of informal caregivers in the Republic of CroatiaAleksandar Dzakula0Maja Banadinović1Dorja Vočanec2Iva Lukačević Lovrenčić3Karmen Lončarek4Department of Social Medicine and Organization of Health Care, Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, CroatiaFirefly - Association for Helping Children and Families Facing Malignant Diseases, Zagreb, CroatiaDepartment of Social Medicine and Organization of Health Care, Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, CroatiaDepartment of Social Medicine and Organization of Health Care, Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, CroatiaDepartment of Integrated and Palliative Care, Rijeka University Hospital Center, Rijeka, CroatiaObjectives Population ageing and the prevalence of multimorbidity represent major challenges for healthcare systems. People who need long-term care have complex conditions requiring both health and social services. Informal caregivers are emerging as an important part of the long-term care ecosystem. This paper aims to explore the position and capacities of informal caregivers in Croatia.Design Health and social care legislative documents were analysed using a structured set of keywords. In addition, focus groups were conducted with informal caregivers who cared for a family member. The qualitative method of thematic analysis was used.Setting and participants Two focus groups were conducted with 15 caregivers (13 women and 2 men). Geographically, participants came from all four NUTS2 Croatian regions. All participants cared for a close family member. The length of care provision ranged from 3 to 35 years. Focus groups were conducted using the Zoom platform.Results The analysis of the documents indicates the fragmentation of national policy into health and social policy. Long-term care as a term is recognised only in health policy. However, some components related to long-term care are part of social policy. Caregivers are recognised in social policy, although not in healthcare. In focus groups, three main themes were identified as follows: (1) position and role of the caregivers in the system and society; (2) types of care based on the recipient’s need and (3) support for the caregivers.Conclusion The research showed that the process of exercising certain rights and services for caregivers is not sufficiently clear and feasible in practice. There is a lack of a clearly defined role of caregivers and relationships towards professional care providers in the system. The key to improving long-term care is connecting community services, including health and social services, both formal and informal, with the process of providing care.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/10/e074454.full |
| spellingShingle | Aleksandar Dzakula Maja Banadinović Dorja Vočanec Iva Lukačević Lovrenčić Karmen Lončarek Role and perspectives of informal care: a qualitative study of informal caregivers in the Republic of Croatia BMJ Open |
| title | Role and perspectives of informal care: a qualitative study of informal caregivers in the Republic of Croatia |
| title_full | Role and perspectives of informal care: a qualitative study of informal caregivers in the Republic of Croatia |
| title_fullStr | Role and perspectives of informal care: a qualitative study of informal caregivers in the Republic of Croatia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Role and perspectives of informal care: a qualitative study of informal caregivers in the Republic of Croatia |
| title_short | Role and perspectives of informal care: a qualitative study of informal caregivers in the Republic of Croatia |
| title_sort | role and perspectives of informal care a qualitative study of informal caregivers in the republic of croatia |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/10/e074454.full |
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