A MODEL OF CAREGIVING EFFECTIVENESS FOR TECHNOLOGICALLY DEPENDENT ADULTS RESIDING AT HOME

Caregiver-care-receiver interactions unique to this model of caregiving effectiveness were tested longitudinally in a randomly drawn national sample of 111 caregivers. Path analyses results indicate that variables explain variance in caregiver and patient quality of life, patient condition, and technological side effects. These findings extend nursing knowledge related to caregiving motivation-to-help and mutual interactions and thus have implications for home care practice. Effective family caregiving of loved ones dependent on technology for survival can result in enhanced patient condition, return to work, normalization of family life, and for society a reduction in health care costs.