Unmet Needs Among Older Adult Informal Caregivers and Care Recipients in Singapore: A Qualitative Study.

Abstract

With the global population aging, it is imperative to have a thorough understanding of the unmet needs experienced by older adults who require caregiving or are informal caregivers. It is also important to understand how the perspectives of caregivers and care recipients might differ and interact to mutually shape experiences during the care journey. The primary aim of this study was to provide an in-depth and holistic understanding of the unmet needs and challenges experienced by older informal caregivers and care recipients. In-depth interviews were conducted in Singapore with 43 participants aged 60 years and above (35 caregivers and eight care recipients). Five main themes emerged from the analysis of the data: i) unmet needs due to informational gaps, ii) fear of burdening family members, iii) caregivers' de-prioritization of self-care due to care recipients' needs, iv) differing views between caregivers and care recipients, and v) concerns about the future. These findings highlight challenges that are especially pertinent to older informal caregivers and care recipients and suggest the need to improve support for them, including having more frequent check-ins, recalibrating policies and programs for more flexible and person-centered support, and facilitating more conversations between care recipients and caregivers about future caregiving arrangements. (198 words).