Enhancing Support for Informal Caregivers in Palliative Care Settings in the Netherlands: Effect of the ON2 Intervention

With an aging population, the need for informal care is rising, significantly impacting caregivers. The Oog Voor Naasten en Nabestaanden “Eye for Family Caregivers” (ON2) was a tailored intervention aimed to involve volunteers and healthcare professionals in providing structural support to informal caregivers in palliative care settings in the Netherlands. The ON2 intervention was implemented with SMART goals, implementation intentions, a workshop, and training sessions with a duration of a year. The study employed a pre-post design to assess the care for informal caregivers by volunteers and healthcare professionals, with data collected via surveys from 98 healthcare professionals, 117 volunteers, and 229 informal caregivers across 15 healthcare organizations. Measures included inquiries about the ‘Wellbeing and Needs’ of informal caregivers, ‘Care Provided’ by volunteers and professionals and ‘Care Received’ by informal caregivers, perceived ‘Competence’ of volunteers and...Show moreWith an aging population, the need for informal care is rising, significantly impacting caregivers. The Oog Voor Naasten en Nabestaanden “Eye for Family Caregivers” (ON2) was a tailored intervention aimed to involve volunteers and healthcare professionals in providing structural support to informal caregivers in palliative care settings in the Netherlands. The ON2 intervention was implemented with SMART goals, implementation intentions, a workshop, and training sessions with a duration of a year. The study employed a pre-post design to assess the care for informal caregivers by volunteers and healthcare professionals, with data collected via surveys from 98 healthcare professionals, 117 volunteers, and 229 informal caregivers across 15 healthcare organizations. Measures included inquiries about the ‘Wellbeing and Needs’ of informal caregivers, ‘Care Provided’ by volunteers and professionals and ‘Care Received’ by informal caregivers, perceived ‘Competence’ of volunteers and professionals to support informal caregivers, and informal caregiver ‘Satisfaction’. Post-intervention, professionals inquired about ‘Wellbeing and Needs’ from 76.41% and volunteers from 49.36% of informal caregivers. Healthcare professionals showed a significant increase in inquiries and perceived competence, while volunteers showed an increase in perceived competence alone. Informal caregivers reported higher ‘Satisfaction’ with the care they received post-intervention. The informal caregiver reported ‘Care Provided’, and ‘Care Received’ did not significantly increase post-intervention. The healthcare professionals' inquiries about ‘Wellbeing and Needs’ across different settings showed no significant overall change, but informal caregivers indicated more frequent inquiries in hospices and homecare compared to hospitals. Informal caregivers are an important resource for healthcare and their wellbeing is crucial to carry on their several roles. The ON2 intervention demonstrates that structural facilitation of informal caregiver support is achievable in palliative care settings.Show less

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Enhancing Support for Informal Caregivers in Palliative Care Settings in the Netherlands: Effect of the ON2 Intervention