Longitudinal qualitative study on the journey map of supportive care needs of primary caregivers of moderately to severely disabled elderly
LI Xiangyin
BAI Xiaoling
GUO Shihong
LI Huan
YANG Xueyan
LOU Ting
Abstract：Objective:To identify the multidimensional supportive care needs of primary caregivers of moderately to severely disabled elderly based on a journey map,aimed to provide a reference for developing comprehensive supportive care interventions throughout their caregiving journey.Methods:A longitudinal descriptive qualitative study was conducted.Using purposive sampling,12 primary caregivers of home-dwelling moderately to severely disabled elderly in a community in Guiyang city from October 2024 to May 2025 were selected to participate in three semi-structured interviews.Data were analyzed using content analysis,and a supportive care needs journey map for primary caregivers was constructed.Results:Taking the acute stress period,adaptation fatigue period,and long-term care period of moderately to severely disabled elderly people as the time horizontal axis of the journey map,the supportive care needs of the main caregivers were subdivided and summarized into 27 themes such as establishing initial care arrangements and receiving and learning care knowledge from three dimensions,tasks,emotions,and pain points,and the journey map was subsequently developed.Conclusions:The supportive care journey for primary caregivers of moderately to severely disabled elderly is lengthy and complex,with supportive care needs being dynamic and multidimensional.Healthcare professionals and community workers can develop targeted supportive care strategies based on these needs to provide precise support.Future efforts could integrate digital and intelligent intervention technologies to achieve holistic,personalized,and precise care management,thereby enhancing the quality of life for both disabled older adults and their caregivers.
Keywords：moderately to severely disabled elderlyprimary caregiversupportive care needsjourney maplongitudinal qualitative study
Publication Date：2026-03-25
Online Publishing Date：2026-04-01(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 1022-1027 )