Our Research
After a stroke, many people are dependent on close relatives to provide care at home. The care systems in many countries rely on the contribution of family caregivers. Negative effects of care work on mental and physical health, as well as on the compatibility of different occupational roles of family caregivers, have been widely documented (UNECE, 2019).
Informal care is defined as the provision of care to persons with disabilities or older adults with care needs by socially closely related persons, such as spouses, parents, children, other relatives, neighbours or friends. It is usually carried out without contractual agreement or formal payment (European Center for Social Welfare Policy and Research, 2023).
Occupational balance is an important concept in occupational therapy and occupational science, as it is closely linked to health and well-being. It describes the subjective perception of the variety and number of one's own actions (Wagman & Hakansson, 2014). Little is known about the occupational balance experienced by informal caregivers.
Sources:
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European Center for Social Welfare Policy and Research. (2023). Informal Care. https://www.euro.centre.org/domains/informal-care
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UNECE (2019). Die schwierige Rolle informeller Pflegepersonen. UNECE Kurzdossier zum Thema Altern Nr. 22. Retrieved 02.08.2023 from https://unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/pau/age/Policy_briefs/German/ECE-WG1-31-GER.pdf
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Wagman, P., & Hakansson, C. (2014). Exploring occupational balance in adults in Sweden [Article]. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 21(6), 415-420. https://doi.org/10.3109/11038128.2014.934917
Our aims
The CROB project aims to better comprehend the crucial role of occupational balance in informal caregivers as well as its facilitators and barriers on the individual, social, and political level. A further aim is to develop multifaceted interventions facilitating occupational balance among informal caregivers of persons after stroke. Furthermore, the results can provide valuable information for follow-up projects to develop concrete guidelines for research and policy to maintain and improve the health and well-being of family caregivers.
Our workpackages
WP #1: Project Management
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To develop, implement, and manage the project schedule.
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WP #2: Literature Review and Identification of the gap of knowledge
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To systematically review current literature as to identify existing evidence as well as gaps of knowledge.
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To provide a cross-cultural overview and of policies related to informal care in Sweden and Austria (with a specific focus on the Lower Austria area.
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WP #3: Needs Assessment for Occupational Balance Interventions
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To assess stakeholders’ needs by employing massive user involvement, following a mixed method approach.
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WP #4: Grant Application at the European Union (EU) Level
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To submit an EU research grant application.
WP #5: Grant Application at National Level
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To set up an application for a national grant application.
Our studies
Systematic Literature Review
A systematic literature review was used to investigate which interventions already exist to promote occupational balance in adults and how effective those are.
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Qualitative Interview Study
In a qualitative research approach, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with informal caregivers of stroke survivors and diary entries were collected over a period of four weeks. The study participants were recruited in Lower Austria.
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Focus Group Study
This study aims to investigate the opinions of experts regarding the occupational balance of informal caregivers of stroke survivors. To this end, four focus groups were conducted with experts in the field of informal care and occupational balance from science, policy and advocacy groups and the healthcare system.
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Validation and Cross-Sectional Study
The validation study aims to analyze and ensure the validity and reliability of the OBI-Care questionnaire among informal caregivers of stroke survivors in Austria. For this purpose, data will be collected via an online questionnaire.
