Effectiveness of Support Programmes for (in)Formal Caregivers of Older Dependent People to Design Technologies

Abstract

The growing number of older dependent population in Spain has incremented the demand for programmes and services aimed to provide support to (in)formal caregivers. Current legislation does not provide clear standardized practices for the results evaluation of such programmes which can constitute a guideline for public or private organizations, including NGOs. One strategy to successfully cope with this situation is the implementation of self-administrated questionnaires as an essential part of a cycle of continuous improvement of programmes and services. This paper is based on results from survey data collected from a sample of managers of programmes, suggests that entities using self-administrated questionnaires can, indeed, improve the effectiveness of their programmes significantly. The result of this study could contribute to the design and develop devices and software to improve care of older people and provide caregivers complementary assistance, especially, for older women.

Appendix

Appendix I. Comparison Item Categorized EUROFAMCARE SPQ, QRPCS and Defined Variables.

Groups of items proposed in EUROFAMCARE SPQ	Groups of items identified in QRPCS	Defined variables
Service providers to families, goals, monitoring needs / as caregivers / as family, program information	Program design: Objectives, establishment of program services, execution of the program Conditions regarding time, targets, indicators for analysis, methodology and State-guaranteed defined resources	Design variables: How has been designed the program to establish the needs of caregivers? “Internal_meetings”: Through internal meetings; “Implemented_program”: Implemented program has been applied by other entities; “Rules/opinions”: Rules/opinions of official bodies have been used; “Pre_assessment_study”: Pre-assessment study has been applied (survey, data, or other representers caregivers of groups); Goals_expressions: How have the goals been expressed in concrete and clear criteria and indicators?; “Program_schedule” Has the program a timing, schedule, planning?; “Goals_results_program:? Are still goals maintained to achieve some results ?; “Indicators_results_program”: Have been established indicators to achieve results?; “Activities_services_program”: Does the program develop activities or provide services?; “Methodology_program”: Does the program follow a clear methodology (in sequencing tasks, phases, etc.) ?; “Resources_program”: Has the program enough resources to achieve the objectives?; “Known_program”: Is the program sufficiently known?; “Updated_program”: Has been updated the program?
Items on background: the need to use the service organization by / as family caregivers	Participation design in the programs: Selected participants / -participation as caregivers / as in the design, development and evaluation of programs-, program coordination, coordination and management	Participation variables: “Participation_definition”: Is it clearly defined who will participate in the program and how?; Are caregivers involved in the program design? “Program_design_participation”: Are caregivers involved in the program design?; ““Program_design_development: Are caregivers involved in the program application and development?; “Program_design_evaluation”: Are caregivers involved in the program monitorization and evaluation?; “Interaction”: Have been coordination and participation stimulated between different actors?; “Objectives_achievement”: Do you think that the coordination and management have contributed to the achievement of objectives?; “Institutional_colaboration”: Do you think that institutional collaboration have contributed to the achievement of results?; “Benefits_overtime”: When the program has been finished: Do you consider that benefits achieved will last over time (in the medium and long term)?; “Program_viability”: Is the program viable at different levels?
Main benefits, satisfaction, development Programs in the future and improvement	Impact of programs on beneficiaries: Futures over time, continuity, benefits, recommendation and dissemination, future viability, resources, barriers, correcting problems, review, improvement and satisfaction with the programs	Impact variables: “Program_supported_external”: Is the program supported (funding, dissemination, for example) by other external entities?; “Program_known_society”: Do you think that the program is sufficiently known by society as a whole?; Do you think that caregivers have found barriers to access to programs? “Program_acc_bar_administrative”: Administrative barriers; “Program_acc_bar_economic”: Economic barriers ?; “Program_acc_bar_culture”: Culture barriers; “Program_acc_bar_geographycal”: Geographical barriers; “Program_acc_bar_temporary” Temporary barriers (i.e. They cannot leave the older person to anyone to attend the activity) ?; “Program_acc_bar_information”: Barriers due to the lack of information or knowledge of the program; “Program_framework_promotion”: Do you think that the current legal framework promotes the program to achieve its objectives?; Is the program appropriate-relevant (or appropriate to the context) from the point of view…? “Program_relevancy_institutional”: Political and institutional; “Program_relevancy_economic”: Economical; “Program_relevancy_social”: Social and cultural; “Program_changes”: Have been changes in the program context which may affect the program initially established?; “Careers_return_participation”: Do caregivers return to the entity requesting to participate in other programs?; “Careers_recommendation”: Are programs recommended by caregivers?; “Program_continuation”: Should the program continue in the future?; “Program_resources_continuation”: Are resources available to continue with the program activities?; “Detection_problems”: Are mechanisms foreseen for the detection and correction of program problems?; “Program_improve”: Do you think that the program could be improved?
Opportunities and demand for assistance / caregivers as / as, vision caregivers / as, resources and strategies for future development	Effectiveness of programs: Quality expectations and demands, achieved goals, influence of the program on / as caregivers / as, resource efficiency, utilization and resource efficiency, future achievement of objectives	Effectiveness variables: “Quality_certification”: Has the entity established a system to ensure quality in the provision of services?; “Program_coverage”: Is the program suitable to meet the expectations, demands and needs of caregivers?; “Achieved_objectives”: Have expected objectives been achieved?; Is the program influencing…? “Program_influence_employment”:… The employment situation (labour standards and/or, insertion, between others)?; “Program_influence_phys_health”:… Physical well-being and health?; “Program_influence_emotions”:… Emotional and psychological well-being?; “Program_influence_social”:… Social welfare and social relations?; “Program_impl_res_service”: Are the assigned resources enough for program implementation and service delivery?; “Program_impl_res_develop”: Are (economic, material and human) resources appropriate for program development which are used ?; Is there an optimal relationship with…? “Optimal_results_persons”:… Effort, human resources (personnel involved) ?; “ Optimal_results_time”:… Time spent ?; “Optimal_results_money”:… Invested money ?; “Efficiency_compared”: Are efficient use of resources allocated to the program compared with other possible alternative uses made? (i.e. service-program offering or giving money for it); “Assess_less_expensive”: Does the likelihood assess of achieving the same results in a less expensive more economically?