Assistive Technology Outcomes Experienced by Caregivers
Louise Demers, PhD1 , Jeffrey Jutai, PhD2 , Marcus Fuhrer, PhD3 , James Lenker, PhD4 , Malgorzata Depa, MSc, OT1 , and Frank DeRuyter, PhD5
1 Research Center, Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal, 2 Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, 3 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 4 Department of Rehabilitation Science, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, 5 Division of Speech Pathology & Audiology, Duke University Medical Center
ABSTRACT
To appreciate the full impact of AT, one must understand how caregivers are affected. The lack of data reflecting AT impacts on caregivers can be partially attributed to the absence of a fully formed conceptual framework. The goal of this study was to develop a conceptual framework for understanding the impacts of care recipients’ use of AT in terms of outcomes reflected in the lives of their caregivers. An important result is identification of a complex set of variables that need to be considered when examining the experience of caregivers of AT users. Recipients’ use of AT can enhance caregivers well-being because of its potential for alleviating a number of stressors associated with caregiving.
KEYWORDS
Outcomes; caregivers; assistive technology; community-living; theoretical model
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This study was supported by Grant H133A060062 from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research through the Consortium on Assistive Technology Outcomes Research (CATOR, http://www.outcomes.org/). A more developed version of the study is under review by the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Contact Information:
Louise Demers, PhD, Research Center, Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal, 4565 Queen Mary Rd, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3W 1W5. Phone: 514-340-3540 ext 3010. Fax: 514-340-3548. Email: Louise.Demers@umontreal.ca.