Balancing Care and Chronic Illness - A Conceptual Framework for Older Caregivers of Advanced Illness Patients

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Fahsai

The study examines older caregivers of advanced-illness patients who simultaneously manage their own chronic conditions, a group described as growing yet insufficiently recognized. It addresses how illness perception shapes self-management, while caregiving context may modify that relationship in advanced-care situations. An exploratory design with N=25 evaluated illness perception, caregiving strain, anticipatory grief, and self-management, using descriptive statistics and non-parametric analyses. Findings suggest heightened illness awareness among caregivers without clear improvement or worsening of self-management, and caregiving stress may increase illness awareness.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Study Rationale

Study Design and Measures

Data Analysis Approach

Key Preliminary Findings

766 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.2602 BALANCING CARE AND CHRONIC ILLNESS: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR OLDER CAREGIVERS OF ADVANCED ILLNESS PATIENTS. Hyeyoung Park, and Joohyun Chung, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States Aging caregivers are a growing yet under-recognized group. Many older caregivers provide care for individuals with advanced illness while also managing their own chronic conditions. Self-management plays a crucial role in chronic illness, and illness perception influences an individual’s self-management. However, the caregiving context—particularly when caring for someone with advanced illness—may alter how caregivers perceive their own illness, subsequently affecting their self-management. Previous research has primarily categorized individuals as either patients with chronic conditions or caregivers, rather than considering these roles simultaneously. To address this gap, this paper develop a conceptual framework that integrates the caregiving context asa moderating or mediating factor between illness perception and self-management, supported by preliminary findings. We conducted an exploratory study (N=25) assessing illness perception, caregiving strain, anticipatory grief, and self-management among older caregivers of individuals with advanced illness. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric analyses were used to identify patterns. Given the small sample size, results were interpreted as preliminary insights informing theoretical development rather than definitive conclusions. Preliminary findings indicate that while illness perception among caregivers is heightened, this heightened awareness does not necessarily lead to improved or diminished self-management, pointing to the potential influence of other mediating factors. While prior research has suggested that caregiving stress may reduce illness perception due to self-neglect, our data reveal a different pattern, that caregiving stress seems to actually increase illness awareness.

FAQs

Why focus on older caregivers of advanced-illness patients?

Older caregivers provide care for individuals with advanced illness while also managing their own chronic conditions, yet this group remains under-recognized. The paper highlights the caregiving context as potentially changing how caregivers perceive their own illness.

How does illness perception relate to self-management in this research?

Illness perception is described as influencing self-management, but the paper argues that caregiving context—especially with advanced illness—may alter that perception and therefore affect self-management.

What did the exploratory study (N=25) find so far?

Preliminary results indicate caregivers’ illness perception is heightened, but this heightened awareness does not necessarily lead to improved or diminished self-management. The data also suggest caregiving stress may increase illness awareness rather than reduce it.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Fahsai