Health & Social Care in the Community最新文献

{"title":"“The ED Has Cost Us Our Savings, Home, Career—But Recovery Is Worth It”: Support Needs of Adult Caregivers of People With a Diagnosed or Suspected Eating Disorder in New Zealand—A Mixed Methods Study","authors":"Rebecca Sinclair,&nbsp;Jason Landon,&nbsp;Sarah Rowland,&nbsp;Kahlia McDougall,&nbsp;Liesje Donkin","doi":"10.1155/hsc/3767561","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/hsc/3767561","url":null,"abstract":"<p>As most individuals diagnosed with an eating disorder are between 12 and 25 years old, parents or guardians frequently assume a caregiver role. Although caregiving can be rewarding, it is often associated with a high level of burden and requires a correspondingly high level of support. We aimed to examine the support needs of caregivers of people with a diagnosed or suspected eating disorder in New Zealand. Using an anonymous online survey, we asked caregivers about their role, the supports they accessed, and their experiences of these supports. Supports most accessed were support groups, mental health therapists, and self-help materials. The greatest benefits from the supports were emotional and psychological support, gaining eating disorder-specific knowledge, and building eating disorder management skills. The main barriers to accessing support were financial, lack of availability, and the individual with the eating disorder being ineligible for support. These findings reflect multiple shortcomings in New Zealand’s health system regarding support available for caregivers. The development of an information hub, use of a standardized screening questionnaire, eating disorder training for healthcare providers, and funding for eating disorder-related support may help to meet some of the needs highlighted in this study.</p>","PeriodicalId":48195,"journal":{"name":"Health & Social Care in the Community","volume":"2026 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/hsc/3767561","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149048581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distress Financing for Food in an Urban Slum: Insights From the Nutri-CAP Study in Bangladesh","authors":"Md Fuad Al Fidah,&nbsp;Ar-Rafi Khan,&nbsp;Md Ridwan Islam,&nbsp;Fahmida Dil Farzana,&nbsp;Tahmeed Ahmed,&nbsp;Mustafa Mahfuz","doi":"10.1155/hsc/6462274","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/hsc/6462274","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Distress financing (DF) refers to financial strategies adopted by households to secure funds in response to stressor events, potentially leading them into a persistent cycle of poverty. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of DF for food and identify factors associated with it in an urban Bangladeshi slum.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This cross-sectional study utilised data from the community survey component of the Nutrition for Children, Adolescent Girls and Pregnant Women in Slums of Dhaka City (Nutri-CAP) study (NCT05311436), conducted in Bauniabadh slum, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The current analysis included 2826 households. Unadjusted logistic regression analyses and a multiple logistic regression model were used to examine associations with DF. A classification and regression tree was constructed to identify household subgroups with differing prevalence of DF. DF included taking loans, mortgaging or selling assets, begging, receiving salary advances, or seeking assistance from relatives.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The prevalence of DF was 23.5%, while 73.3% of households were food secure. Higher monthly income was associated with lower odds of DF (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.82–0.94), as was postprimary education of the female household manager (FHM) (aOR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.46–0.80). Compared with food-secure households, the odds of DF were higher among mildly (aOR: 28.31, 95% CI: 16.79–47.72), moderately (aOR: 36.96, 95% CI: 27.81–49.14) and severely food-insecure households (aOR: 53.57, 95% CI: 35.09–81.78). Households with a monthly income &lt; 12,000 BDT and lower FHM’s education had the highest observed prevalence of DF.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The findings highlight important socioeconomic and household characteristics associated with DF and may inform the development of targeted policy interventions, particularly for low-income households and those where the FHM has limited education. Potential measures include conditional cash transfers, education-based subsidies, livelihood programmes, subsidised food provision and improved housing conditions in slum areas.</p>\u0000 \u0000 <p><b>Trial Registration:</b> ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05311436</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48195,"journal":{"name":"Health & Social Care in the Community","volume":"2026 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/hsc/6462274","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149048557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Knowledge Mapping of Caregivers for Stroke Survivors From 2015 to 2026: A Bibliometric Research","authors":"Chao-Qin Gou,&nbsp;Can Tian","doi":"10.1155/hsc/2875837","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/hsc/2875837","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim (s)</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To gain a better understanding of the current collaboration patterns, knowledge base, hotspots, and emerging trends on caregivers of stroke survivors over the past decade.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database was searched from January 1, 2015, to May 25, 2026. VOSviewer and CiteSpace software were employed to conduct the contribution and co-occurrence relationships of countries, institutes, journals, authors, keywords, and references, as well as the dual-map overlay and burst detection analysis.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A total of 606 articles were included. The annual publications reached a peak in 2025 (<i>n</i> = 95). The USA (165 publications, 3173 citations) was the most productive and impactful country. The State University System of Florida and Zhengzhou University issued the largest number of articles (<i>n</i> = 23). Gianluca Pucciarelli and Ercole Vellone were the authors with the highest number of publications (<i>n</i> = 21). <i>Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation</i> published the most manuscripts (<i>n</i> = 32). The most highly cited journal was <i>Stroke</i>. The formation mode of the frontier theme was convergent. The research frontiers covered the disciplines of economics, politics, psychology, education, and health. The keyword ‘spouse’‌ maintained the longest burst duration, and ‘caregiver burden’ had the strongest burst strength.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The field is shifting from a problem-oriented to resource and empowerment perspective, with emerging hotspots including caregiver burden, family resilience and quality, and a growing trend toward remote care platforms. Future research should integrate digital technologies, family-centered empowerment interventions, and policy alignment with evidence-based findings.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48195,"journal":{"name":"Health & Social Care in the Community","volume":"2026 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/hsc/2875837","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149048173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Paradox of Digital Screening for Developmental Disabilities: Excellent Accuracy but Disappointing Attrition","authors":"Sayyed Ali Samadi,&nbsp;Roy McConkey,&nbsp;Maryam Pourseid Mohammad,&nbsp;Farzaneh Ghanimi,&nbsp;Mehdi Fouladgar,&nbsp;Shahnaz Bakhshalizadeh Moradi","doi":"10.1155/hsc/3637241","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/hsc/3637241","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The early identification of developmental disabilities is a cornerstone of effective primary care, yet it remains a profound challenge in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Digital screening tools offer a potential solution, but their real-world implementation is poorly understood. This study evaluates the large-scale implementation of a digital autism screening system in Iran as a case study of this broader challenge.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A national sequential mixed-methods study was conducted. The quantitative phase retrospectively analyzed data from 5500 children (2019–2024) who screened positive on the digital HIVA system. The qualitative phase involved in-depth interviews with 22 parents to explain the quantitative findings.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The digital tool demonstrated excellent diagnostic accuracy, with 80.9% of follow-up completers receiving an autism diagnosis. However, its utility was nullified by a 77.2% attrition rate in the online pathway, representing over 400 likely undiagnosed autistic children. Counterintuitively, multivariate regression revealed that higher parental education significantly predicted attrition (Mother adjusted odds ratios [aOR] = 1.48; Father aOR = 2.12), suggesting strategic disengagement from the state pathway. Explanatory interviews identified key barriers: profound distrust in digital systems, the irreplaceable value of human interaction for crisis-driven families, and multifaceted access barriers (e.g., lack of awareness and rural tech limitations).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Commissioned by the Iranian State Welfare Organization, this evaluation exposes a critical implementation paradox with wider implications for global child health: even accurate digital tools fail when they operate in isolation. For equitable early detection of developmental disabilities in LMICs, integrated solutions that combine technology with human-supported, community-based pathways are essential.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48195,"journal":{"name":"Health & Social Care in the Community","volume":"2026 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/hsc/3637241","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149048211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"International Trends in Endometriosis Delay to Diagnosis Data","authors":"Katherine Ellis,&nbsp;Rachael Wood","doi":"10.1155/hsc/7911605","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/hsc/7911605","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The presence of endometrial-like glands and stroma outside of the uterine cavity is a condition called endometriosis. For this article, 58 studies reporting diagnostic delay data tied to a particular nation were identified in Medline, PubMed, SPORTDiscus and CINAHL to characterise where globally endometriosis diagnostic delay data have been collected. Data regarding endometriosis diagnostic delay is largely concentrated in North America and Europe. Data are particularly lacking in South America and Africa and in large parts of Asia and the Pacific. The country with the largest research volume is the USA. Present literature strongly indicates that endometriosis is associated with substantial impacts for the individual, including reduced quality of life. Diagnostic delays are highly influenced by a range of factors, including the inherent difficulty of confirming endometriosis, issues at the patient level such as normalisation of symptoms and health system factors such as medical practitioner knowledge. To better characterise these features internationally, data should be collected amongst previously unassessed or under-assessed cohorts such as indigenous, African, Asian, South American and Pasifika, refugees, and those in low-income and low-resource environments. These data should be assessed using consistent methodologies (such as participant profiles and questionnaires) to allow the creation of larger, diverse datasets of endometriosis impacts.</p>","PeriodicalId":48195,"journal":{"name":"Health & Social Care in the Community","volume":"2026 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/hsc/7911605","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149047905","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Changes in Healthcare Utilization Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults Requiring Care During the Early Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korea","authors":"Ji-Eun Park,&nbsp;Eunkyoung Ahn,&nbsp;Ji-Eun Park","doi":"10.1155/hsc/2275289","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/hsc/2275289","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Backgrounds</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Despite the extensive body of research on the COVID-19 pandemic, socially vulnerable populations have received relatively limited attention. This study investigated changes in healthcare utilization before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among a medically vulnerable group: community-dwelling older adults requiring care due to health conditions. It also explored factors associated with these changes.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study employed a prepost design without a control group to examine changes in healthcare utilization and their associated factors among community-dwelling older adults requiring care between 2019 and 2020. Using data from the second Korean Health Panel (2019-2020), we analyzed 191 older adults. Paired <i>t</i>-tests were used to compare healthcare utilization before and during the pandemic, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with changes in healthcare utilization.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Most participants (91.6%) were community-dwelling and were generally of low socioeconomic status. No statistically significant changes were observed in overall healthcare utilization between 2019 and 2020. However, analyses by healthcare utilization type revealed distinct factors associated with each outcome. Outpatient visits declined marginally among older adults in the second income quartile (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.1) and significantly among those with cerebrovascular disease or cancer. In addition, older age, decreased in household income, medical aid beneficiary status, and cancer were significantly associated with reduced out-of-pocket expenditures. Furthermore, this study showed that the nonsignificant overall change in healthcare utilization reflected offsetting increases and decreases among individuals.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>No statistically significant changes in healthcare utilization were observed among community-dwelling older adults requiring care due to health-related conditions during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although overall healthcare utilization remained relatively stable, preexisting socioeconomic and clinical vulnerabilities continued to shape healthcare patterns during the pandemic. Policies aimed at protecting older adults requiring care should therefore prioritize targeted approaches that address the heterogeneous needs of socioeconomically and clinically vulnerable subgroups.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48195,"journal":{"name":"Health & Social Care in the Community","volume":"2026 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/hsc/2275289","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149047992","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Intersectional Inequalities in Mental Health Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Midlife and Older Adults in Australia: A Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy","authors":"Sora Lee,&nbsp;Mehak Batra","doi":"10.1155/hsc/2333814","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/hsc/2333814","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Objective&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;To examine intersectional inequalities in mental health among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) midlife and older adults in Australia using Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy (MAIHDA).&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Methods&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Cross-sectional data collected between July and December 2025 from the Hidden Workers Survey were analysed. The survey sample comprised 1166 adults aged 45 years and over, including 696 hidden workers (59.7%)—adults who were unemployed, underemployed or discouraged from seeking employment—and 470 employed participants (40.3%). Mental health was assessed using the five-item mental health inventory (MHI-5; 0–100 scale, higher scores indicating better mental health). The primary intersectional specification defined eight strata by combinations of CALD status (classified from country of birth and reported ethnicity), age group (45–59 vs. 60+) and gender. Two-level linear mixed-effects MAIHDA models were estimated to partition between-stratum variance and assess residual heterogeneity beyond additive sociodemographic effects. Robustness was evaluated through (1) a sensitivity model substituting area of residence for gender, (2) re-estimation in the hidden workers subsample and (3) inclusion of hidden worker status as a fixed-effect covariate.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Results&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;The primary model showed that 9.72% of total variance was attributable to between-stratum differences. Age was the dominant fixed-effect predictor: participants aged 60 and over scored approximately 12 points higher than those aged 45–59 (&lt;i&gt;β&lt;/i&gt; = 12.04, SE = 3.31, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001). CALD status and gender were not significant as additive predictors. Statistically significant residual between-stratum variance persisted after adjustment for additive effects (LR &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.009; PCV = 66.76%), indicating that mental health differences across CALD–age–gender combinations were not fully reducible to population-average sociodemographic effects. The primary conclusions were robust across all three sensitivity analyses, including adjustment for hidden worker status as a covariate (age &lt;i&gt;β&lt;/i&gt; = 12.16, LR &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.004), restriction to the hidden workers subsample (LR &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.003) and substitution of area for gender.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Conclusions&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Mental health inequalities in this sample were structured primarily by age, with adults aged 45–59 reporting poorer mental health than those aged 60 and over, while the intersection of CALD status,","PeriodicalId":48195,"journal":{"name":"Health & Social Care in the Community","volume":"2026 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/hsc/2333814","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149048343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gender Differences in Family Care: A Qualitative Study Among Culturally Diverse Family Caregivers of People With Dementia","authors":"M. L. A. De Graaff,&nbsp;I. Van der Heide,&nbsp;J. J. D. J. M. Rademakers,&nbsp;I. Rikkers Pluijlaar,&nbsp;A. L. Francke","doi":"10.1155/hsc/5341962","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/hsc/5341962","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This qualitative study explores gender differences in family care for people with dementia. While previous research indicated that the burden of caregiving is often higher among women compared to men, other gender-related differences associated with family care remain understudied.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Three semistructured focus-group interviews and seven individual interviews were conducted with a culturally diverse mix of male and female caregivers in The Netherlands. The open interview questions were inspired by the Stanford Gender-Related Variables for Health Research (GVHR) tool. Items of the GVHR tool were also used as sensitizing concepts in the thematic analysis.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>With regard to spousal caregivers, there appeared to be no major gender differences in the care provided. However, participants did mention gender differences regarding other family caregivers, such as daughters and sons. The women in their families provide time-intensive types of care more often than men. Both female and male participants mentioned that women were more proactive in offering support to them as caregivers or to their relative with dementia. Female participants linked their perceived care burden to difficulties in combining caregiving with other daily activities, e.g., the care for other family members and paid work. Furthermore, it was difficult for them to mentally disengage from their concerns for their relatives with dementia when participating in other daily activities. Overall, comparable gender differences in family care and care burden were mentioned by participants with and without migration backgrounds. However, the latter related their views on family care more explicitly to their culture.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Discussion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study highlights the need for gender-sensitive support for caregivers of people with dementia. The insights from this study can help care professionals and policy makers to arrange inclusive and gender-sensitive support for family caregivers.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48195,"journal":{"name":"Health & Social Care in the Community","volume":"2026 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/hsc/5341962","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149047910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding the Impact of Heatwaves on Care Homes in the United Kingdom and Ireland: A Multiregion Survey of Staff Experiences, Challenges, and Adaptation Strategies","authors":"Hannah Blount,&nbsp;Jade Ward,&nbsp;Patrick A. B. James,&nbsp;Peter R. Worsley,&nbsp;Davide Filingeri,&nbsp;Nuno Koch Esteves","doi":"10.1155/hsc/6254170","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/hsc/6254170","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, creating critical challenges for social care settings where both staff and residents face heightened heat-related vulnerability. This study examined the impact of heatwaves on care homes in the UK and Ireland using a survey of staff experiences, challenges, and adaptation strategies.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Care home staff (<i>N</i> = 219) in managerial (<i>N</i> = 85) and caregiving roles (<i>N</i> = 134) completed an online survey investigating staff perceptions of heatwaves’ impact on thermal comfort, health, and vulnerability of themselves and residents, alongside current heat resilience strategies and the barriers to their implementation.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Two-thirds (65%) of the surveyed staff complained of being too hot three or more times per day, and most respondents perceived heat to impact their ability to perform tasks (90%) and on residents’ comfort and health (91%). Staff also reported high awareness of older adults’ heightened heat vulnerability (95%) and signs of heat illness (87%). Thematic analysis identified five key barriers to providing effective cooling: funding limitations, inadequate equipment, building constraints, staffing pressures, and individual resident needs and four priority improvement areas: increased access to cooling equipment, improved temperature control, strengthened strategy and policy, and support for staff needs.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Heatwaves place considerable strain on care homes, challenging staff capacity to maintain comfortable thermal conditions, despite good perceived knowledge of heat risks. Financial, infrastructural, and staffing constraints limit effective heat-resilience practices. Evaluating and implementing affordable, accessible, and context-appropriate cooling strategies will be essential to protect both residents and staff as extreme hot weather events become more frequent.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48195,"journal":{"name":"Health & Social Care in the Community","volume":"2026 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/hsc/6254170","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149047953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Conceptualising Care: A Scoping Review of Definitions and Discourses in the Care Economy","authors":"Khalil H.,&nbsp;Barclay K.,&nbsp;Boak J.,&nbsp;Blackberry I.","doi":"10.1155/hsc/5597636","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/hsc/5597636","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The term “care economy” is increasingly used in research, policy and public discourse, yet remains inconsistently defined.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To map how the care economy is conceptualised in recent peer-reviewed literature, identifying common definitions, recurring themes, and notable omissions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A scoping review of peer-reviewed literature was conducted using eight databases. Articles published between January 2018 and November 2023 were screened and analysed. Excel was used for qualitative content analysis and word frequency exploration. Thematic patterns in definitions and discourses were synthesised to highlight dominant framings and gaps.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Out of 354 reviewed articles, 107 explicitly engaged with aspects of the care economy although few offered comprehensive definitions. Analysis revealed dominant themes around informal caregiving, economic burden, gendered care labour and family-based support systems. However, explicit engagement with critical perspectives—such as Indigenous, Black feminist or Global South conceptualisations was rare among the included studies. Quantitative visualisation tools (e.g., word frequency tables and clouds) illustrated prominent terminology but were interpreted alongside thematic analysis.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This review highlights the fragmented and often exclusionary ways in which the care economy is defined in academic literature. Drawing on this mapping, it proposes an evidence-informed working definition, intended as a transparent point of departure rather than a fixed, singular definition, and argues for more inclusive and critically informed frameworks that recognise the diversity of care relationships and the sociopolitical dynamics underpinning them.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48195,"journal":{"name":"Health & Social Care in the Community","volume":"2026 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/hsc/5597636","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148994444","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}