The Social Convoy for Family Caregivers over the Course of Hospice

Context Family caregivers play a central role in the care of those in hospice care. Little is known about the social support networks for those providing this day-to-day care without training. Objectives The purpose of this study was to explore changes in family and friend social networks among hospice caregivers over the course of the hospice stay. Methods Data on social support networks were collected as part of a multisite randomized controlled trial and analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results A statistically significant decline in the caregivers' family network subscale score was found over the four week period during which they received hospice services, reflecting a possible weakening of their family networks. Conclusion This result illustrates the potential importance of ongoing comprehensive assessment of caregiver networks and attention to interventions that may assist in capitalizing on both the quantity of support (numbers of individuals asked to help) and the quality of social support (attending to issues of support burden).