Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Recruitment of Older Adult Patient-Caregiver Dyads for an Online Caregiver Resource Program: Lessons Learned

  • Published:
Ageing International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Hip fracture is a significant health problem for older adults and generally requires surgery followed by intensive rehabilitation. Informal caregivers (CGs) can provide vital assistance to older adults recovering from hip fracture. Caregiving is a dyadic process that affects both CGs and care recipients (CRs). In a feasibility study, we assessed the effects of using a theory-based online hip fracture resource program for CGs on both CGs and CRs. In this article, we discuss our recruitment process and the lessons learned. Participants were recruited from six acute hospitals, and CGs used the online resource program for 8 weeks. A total of 256 hip fracture patients were screened, and 164 CRs were ineligible. CG screening was initiated when CRs were determined to be eligible. Among 41 eligible dyads, 36 dyads were recruited. Several challenges to the recruitment of these dyads for online studies were identified, including a low number of eligible dyads in certain hospitals and difficulty recruiting both the CR and the CG during the short hospital stay. Field nurses often had to make multiple trips to the hospital to meet with both the CR and the CG. Thus, when a subject unit is a dyad recruited from acute settings, the resources required for the recruitment may be more than doubled. These challenges could be successfully alleviated with careful planning, competent field staff members, collaboration with hospital staff members, and efficient field operations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams, C. (2003). Quality of life for caregivers and stroke survivors in the immediate discharge period. Applied Nursing Research, 16, 126–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amador, T. K., Travis, S. S., McAuley, W. J., Bernard, M., & McCutcheon, M. (2006). Recruitment and retention of ethnically diverse long-term family caregivers for research. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 47(3–4), 139–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balducci, C., Mnich, E., McKee, K. J., Lamura, G., Beckmann, A., Krevers, B., et al. (2008). Negative impact and positive value in caregiving: validation of the COPE index in a six-country sample of carers. Gerontologist, 48, 276–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (1997a). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (Ed.). (1997b). Self-efficacy in changing societies. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (1998). Health promotion from the perspective of social cognitive theory. Psychological and Health, 13, 623–649.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bogardus, S. T., Bradley, E. H., Williams, C. S., Maciejewski, P. K., Gallo, W. T., & Inouye, S. K. (2004). Achieving goals in geriatric assessment: role of caregiver agreement and adherence to recommendations. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 52(1), 99–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Broadbent, E., Ellis, C. J., Thomas, J., Gamble, G., & Petrie, K. J. (2009). Can an illness perception intervention reduce illness anxiety in spouses of myocardial infarction patients? A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 67, 11–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Browner, B. D., Jupiter, J. B., Levine, A. M., & Trafton, P. G. (2003). Skeletal trauma: Basic science, management, and reconstruction (3rd ed.). Canada: Saunders.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buss, M. K., DuBenske, L. L., Dinauer, S., Gustafson, D. H., McTavish, F., & Cleary, J. F. (2008). Patient/Caregiver influences for declining participation in supportive oncology trials. The Journal of Supportive Oncology, 6(4), 168–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cassie, K. M., & Sanders, S. (2008). Familial caregivers of older adults. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 50(Suppl 1), 293–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, P. C., & Dunbar, S. B. (2003). Family partnership intervention: a guide for a family approach to care of patients with heart failure. AACN Clinical Issues, 14, 467–476.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clemmer, S. J., Ward-Griffin, C., & Forbes, D. (2008). Family members providing home-based palliative care to older adults: the enactment of multiple roles. Canadian Journal on Aging, 27, 267–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dillman, D. A., & Smyth, J. D. (2007). Design effects in the transition to web-based surveys. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 32(5 suppl), S90–S96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallagher-Thompson, D., Solano, N., Coon, D., & Arean, P. (2003). Recruitment and retention of latino dementia family caregivers in intervention research: issues to face, lessons to learn. Gerontologist, 43, 45–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galson, S. K. (2009). Surgeon general’s perspectives: Self-management programs: One way to promote healthy aging retrieved September 10, 2011, from http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/publichealthreports/sgp124-4.pdf

  • Gould, D. A. (2004). Family caregivers and the health care system. In C. Levine & T. Murrary (Eds.), The cultures of caregiving (p. 1012). Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, Y., & Schulz, R. (2008). Family caregivers’ strains: comparative analysis of cancer caregiving with dementia, diabetes, and frail elderly caregiving. J Aging Health, 20, 483–503. doi:10.1177/0898264308317533.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • King, R. B., Hartke, R. J., & Denby, F. (2007). Problem-solving early intervention: a pilot study of stroke caregivers. Rehabilitation Nursing, 32, 68–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koval, K. J., Chen, A. L., Aharonoff, G. B., Egol, K. A., & Zuckerman, J. D. (2004). Clinical pathway for hip fractures in the elderly: the hospital for joint disease experience. Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research, 1(425), 72–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kukafka, R., Lussier, Y. A., Eng, P., Patel, V. L., & Cimino, J. J. (2002). Web-based tailoring and its effect on self-efficacy: results from the MI-HEART randomized controlled trial. Proceedings/AMIA Annual Symposium.

  • Lazarus, R. (1999). Stress and emotion: A new synthesis. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leonard, N. R., Lester, P., Rotheram-Borus, M. J., Mattes, K., Gwadz, M., & Ferns, B. (2003). Successful recruitment and retention of participants in longitudinal behavioral research. AIDS Education & Prevention, 15, 269–281.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, J. H., Kilgore, M. L., Goldman, D. P., Trimble, E. L., Kaplan, R., Montello, M. J., et al. (2003). Participation of patients 65 years of age or older in cancer clinical trials. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 21, 1383–1389.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, H., Melnyk, B. M., & McCann, R. (2004). Review of intervention studies of families with hospitalized elderly relatives. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 36, 54–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, P. C., & Lu, C. M. (2007). Psychosocial factors affecting hip fracture elder’s burden of care in Taiwan. Orthopaedic Nursing, 26, 155–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Livingston, P. M., Guest, C. S., Bateman, A., Woodcock, N., & Taylor, H. R. (1994). Cost-effectiveness of recruitment methods in a population-based epidemiological study: the Melbourne Visual Impairment Project. Australian Journal of Public Health, 18, 314–318.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyons, K. S., Zarit, S. H., Sayer, A. G., & Whitlatch, C. J. (2002). Caregiving as a dyadic process: perspectives from caregiver and receiver. Journals of Gerontology Series B-Psychological Sciences & Social Sciences, 57, 195–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mackenzie, A., Perry, L., Lockhart, E., Cottee, M., Cloud, G., & Mann, H. (2007). Family carers of stroke survivors: needs, knowledge, satisfaction and competence in caring. Disability & Rehabilitation, 29(2), 111–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Macleod, M., Chesson, R. A., Blackledge, P., Hutchison, J. D., & Ruta, N. (2005). To what extent are carers involved in the care and rehabilitation of patients with hip fracture? Disability & Rehabilitation, 27, 1117–1122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magaziner, J., Wehren, L., Hawkes, W. G., Orwig, D., Hebel, J. R., Fredman, L., et al. (2006). Women with hip fracture have a greater rate of decline in bone mineral density than expected: another significant consequence of a common geriatric problem. Osteoporosis International, 17, 971–977.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCauley, K. M. (1995). Assessing social support in patients with cardiac disease. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 10, 73–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • McNeill, L. H., Viswanath, K., Bennett, G. G., Puleo, E., & Emmons, K. M. (2007). Feasibility of using a web-based nutrition intervention among residents of multiethnic working-class neighborhoods. Preventing Chronic Disease, 4(3), A55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morrison, R. S., Chassin, M. R., & Siu, A. L. (1988). The medical consultant’s role in caring for patients with hip fracture. Annals of Internal Medicine, 128(12), 1010–1020.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, M. R., Escamilla, M. I., Blackwell, P. H., Lucke, K. T., Miner-Williams, D., Shaw, V., et al. (2007). Assessment of caregivers’ willingness to participate in an intervention research study. Research in Nursing & Health, 30, 347–355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nahm, E.-S., Resnick, B., & Mills, M. E. (2003). A model of computer-mediated social support among older adults. AMIA Annual Symposium Proceedings, 948.

  • Nahm, E.-S., Resnick, B., & Gaines, J. (2004). Testing of the reliability and validity of the computer-mediated social support measures among older adults: a preliminary study. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 22, 211–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nahm, E.-S., Bausell, B., Resnick, B., Covington, B., Magaziner, J., & Brennan, P. F. (2010a). Effects of a social cognitive theory based hip fracture prevention website for older adults. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 28, 371–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nahm, E. S., Resnick, B., Orwig, D., Magaziner, J., & Degrezia, M. (2010b). Exploration of informal caregiving following hip fracture. Geriatric Nursing, 31, 254–262.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Family Caregivers Association. (2010). Who are America’s family caregivers? Retrieved 2011, September 10, from http://www.thefamilycaregiver.org/who_are_family_caregivers/

  • Nichols, L., Martindale-Adams, J., Burns, R., Coon, D., Ory, M., Mahoney, D., et al. (2004). Social marketing as a framework for recruitment: illustrations from the REACH study. Journal of Aging & Health, 16(5 Suppl), 157S–176S.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Connell, B., Baker, L., & Prosser, A. (2003). The educational needs of caregivers of stroke survivors in acute and community settings. Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, 35(1), 21–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pruchono, R. A., Burant, C. J., & Peters, N. D. (1997). Understanding the well-being of care receivers. The Gerontologist, 37, 102–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rabow, M. W., Hauser, J. M., & Adams, J. (2004). Supporting family caregivers at the end of life: “they don’t know what they don’t know”.[see comment]. Jama, 291(4), 483–491.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rainie, L. (2005). What people do online Retrieved May 10, 2010, from http://www.pewinternet.org/Presentations/2005/What-people-do-online.aspx

  • Ransom, S., Azzarello, L. M., & McMillan, S. C. (2006). Methodological issues in the recruitment of cancer pain patients and their caregivers. Research in Nursing & Health, 29, 190–198.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reid, R. D., Morrin, L. I., Beaton, L. J., Papadakis, S., Kocourek, J., McDonnell, L., et al. (2011). Randomized trial of an internet-based computer-tailored expert system for physical activity in patients with heart disease. European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation. doi:10.1177/1741826711422988

  • Resnick, B., Orwig, D., Yu-Yahiro, J., Hawkes, W., Shardell, M., Hebel, J. R., et al. (2007). Testing the effectiveness of the exercise plus program in older women post-hip fracture. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 34, 67–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shawler, C. (2006). The empowerment of older mothers and daughters: rehabilitation strategies following a hip fracture. Geriatric Nursing, 27, 371–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shyu, Y. I., Chen, M. C., Wu, C. C., & Cheng, H. S. (2010). Family caregivers’ needs predict functional recovery of older care recipients after hip fracture. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66, 2450–2359.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steinhauser, K. E., Clipp, E. C., Hays, J. C., Olsen, M., Arnold, R., Christakis, N. A., et al. (2006). Identifying, recruiting, and retaining seriously-ill patients and their caregivers in longitudinal research. Palliative Medicine, 20, 745–754.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Washington, K. T., Meadows, S. E., Elliott, S. G., & Koopman, R. J. (2011). Information needs of informal caregivers of older adults with chronic health conditions. Patient Education & Counseling, 83, 37–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitlatch, C. (2008). Informal caregivers: communication and decision making. American Journal of Nursing, 108(9 Suppl), 73–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Witham, M. D., & McMurdo, M. E. (2007). How to get older people included in clinical studies. Drugs & Aging, 24, 187–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolff, J. L., & Kasper, J. D. (2004). Informal caregiver characteristics and subsequent hospitalization outcomes among recipients of care. Aging-Clinical & Experimental Research, 16, 307–313.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Maryland School of Nursing, 655 W. Lombard St, Suite 455C, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    Eun-Shim Nahm

  2. University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Denise Orwig, Barbara Resnick, Jay Magaziner & Robert Sterling

  3. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Michele Bellantoni

Authors
  1. Eun-Shim Nahm
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Denise Orwig
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Barbara Resnick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jay Magaziner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Michele Bellantoni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Robert Sterling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eun-Shim Nahm.

Additional information

This study was supported by Grant R21AG029578 from the National Institute on Aging.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Nahm, ES., Orwig, D., Resnick, B. et al. Recruitment of Older Adult Patient-Caregiver Dyads for an Online Caregiver Resource Program: Lessons Learned. Ageing Int 37, 489–504 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-011-9128-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-011-9128-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation