Setting up Young Family Caregivers for Success





There is so much we can do to improve family caregiving outcomes, especially for young caregivers who are putting their time and energy into caregiving instead of building their fledgling adult lives.

I detailed a version of this approach in my dissertation - the study we did was on forming self-sustaining communities of practice in teacher education so that new teachers could lead change in the profession with regards to incorporating digital technologies to enable, enrich and enhance learning in elementary school classrooms.

The model is based on a theory of cognition that shows how collaborative learning experiences can build a sense of belonging and resilience in groups where individual work is carried out in isolation or in non-supportive conditions.


The method utilizes a formal learning experience - a structured course - to create conditions for collaborative, active experiential learning. 


These learning experiences are designed to accomplish three concurrent objectives:

1. Introduce the participants to new understandings and awareness of the adverse conditions they are encountering:

1.1 Historical review of family caregiving

1.2 Current conditions of family caregiving

1.2.1 Demographic impacts

1.2.2


2. Explore uses of digital technologies:

2.1 Forming and sustaining collaborative communities of practice

2.1.1 Mentoring and co-mentoring relationships

2.1.2 Team-based family caregiving for mutual support and problem solving

2.1.3 Advocating for accountability of family caregiving cost (or other advocacy issues)

2.2 Exploring available online resources to support family caregiving

2.3 Coordinated utilization of social media to foster significant support for system change


3. Participate in collaborative inquiry to troubleshoot their own situations, alleviate pressure, and activate system change to improve overall conditions in the field:

3.1 Issue identification

3.2 Collaborative research and concept development

3.3 Design-based research approach to solution development

3.3.1 Intervention design

3.3.2 Implement iteration

3.3.3 Review results, discuss, adapt intervention design

3.3.4 Implement iteration

3.3.5 Continue to evolve understanding, approach, solution and iterations

4. Document results of collaborative inquiry in social media to share innovations and continue to build networks with other family caregivers and family caregiver learning groups

4.1 Self-identified family caregivers looking for help and to end caregiver isolation

4.2 Healthcare system identified family caregivers through health provider referrals

4.3 Family and friends identified family caregivers through social media connectivity


In this scenario, young family caregivers could form collaborative, active, self-sustaining learning groups that could provide leadership to improve system change to support family caregiving. They could, in turn, become mentors of new caregivers taking on the responsibility of providing for their care recipients (no matter what life stage the new caregiver is in).


This would be my vision for changing conditions for family caregiving in Canada. We establish a program for young caregivers to have the opportunity of not only improving their own individual situations and future prospects, but they also have the opportunity to lead paradigm shifts and system change in our societal understanding and support for family caregiving.

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