Views of Older Adults on Using Support to Prevent Overload in Informal Caregivers: Results of a Story Completion Study

Table 1

Overview of the presented situations and questions in the story completion task.

Hypothetical situations (shortened)	Questions
Situation 1: We introduce Janneke (72 years), who lives in her own home. Janneke’s daughter occasionally comes by to chat, help with household chores, and accompany her mother to doctors’ appointments. Lately, Janneke has not been feeling well and her daughter has to come by almost every day. The daughter often looks tired and seems tense sometimes	(i) If you were Janneke, what would you do in this situation, and why?; (ii) What could others, such as Janneke’s daughter, possibly do?
Situation 2: Janneke’s health further deteriorates. The daughter feels that she should receive more care than she alone can provide. She proposes and explains several options, such as professional care within the home, adult day care services or overnight care, or assistance from friends or acquaintances of Janneke	(i) If you were Janneke, what would you think of the daughter’s suggestions, and why?; (ii) How would you feel if someone other than your daughter took care of you or kept you company from time to time?; (iii) Suppose that Janneke does not recognize that she needs extra care, or that she would rather not receive help from someone else. What do you think would be the best thing for Janneke and her daughter to do?
Situation 3: We introduce Bert (80 years old). Recently, Bert has had a bad fall in the house. His son lives an hour's drive away and has a demanding job. He worries that, in case of an emergency, he cannot quickly reach his father. He proposes and explains solutions that would allow him to help his father Bert from a distance, such as portable alarm buttons, sensors, or the installation of cameras in the house	(i) If you were Bert, what would you think of these options, and why?; (ii) Are there any other solutions that you would suggest?