Family caregiver frailty in adult congenital heart disease is overlooked: A call to action
The frailty of family caregivers (FCs) of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) is an underrecognized yet critical issue in healthcare. As individuals with CHD live longer, their FCs, often aging alongside them, face escalating physical, emotional, and psychological challenges. This brief repor...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Cardiology Congenital Heart Disease |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666668525000035 |
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| author | Arianna Magon Serena Francesca Flocco Laura Schianchi Massimo Chessa Daniele Ciofi Salvatore Angileri Maddalena De Maria Gianluca Conte Silvia Favilli Cristina Arrigoni Rosario Caruso |
| author_facet | Arianna Magon Serena Francesca Flocco Laura Schianchi Massimo Chessa Daniele Ciofi Salvatore Angileri Maddalena De Maria Gianluca Conte Silvia Favilli Cristina Arrigoni Rosario Caruso |
| author_sort | Arianna Magon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The frailty of family caregivers (FCs) of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) is an underrecognized yet critical issue in healthcare. As individuals with CHD live longer, their FCs, often aging alongside them, face escalating physical, emotional, and psychological challenges. This brief report examines frailty in FCs as a multidimensional issue stemming from prolonged caregiving demands and cumulative stress. The evidence gathered in this regard identifies three key domains affecting FCs: psychological stress and childcare, physical health decline, and the challenges of caregiving during transitions to adulthood. These findings underscore the urgent need for family-centered care models that incorporate tailored frailty assessments and targeted interventions to support FCs throughout their caregiving journey. Addressing caregiver frailty could improve outcomes for both patients and caregivers, strengthen resilience, and optimize resource allocation. This perspective calls for immediate action in research and policy to prioritize caregiver well-being in transition care programs, enhancing the quality of life for both caregivers and patients. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-61a4a7362e674b5c803f8ca9cb3cd9d4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-6685 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Cardiology Congenital Heart Disease |
| spelling | doaj-art-61a4a7362e674b5c803f8ca9cb3cd9d42025-01-22T05:44:11ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Cardiology Congenital Heart Disease2666-66852025-03-0119100567Family caregiver frailty in adult congenital heart disease is overlooked: A call to actionArianna Magon0Serena Francesca Flocco1Laura Schianchi2Massimo Chessa3Daniele Ciofi4Salvatore Angileri5Maddalena De Maria6Gianluca Conte7Silvia Favilli8Cristina Arrigoni9Rosario Caruso10Health Professions Research and Development Unit, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, ItalyHealth Professions Research and Development Unit, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, ItalyHealth Professions Research and Development Unit, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, ItalyPediatric and Congenital Heart Disease Unit, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy; Medical School, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, ItalyMeyer Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Department of Health Care Professions Unit, Milan, ItalyMeyer Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Department of Health Care Professions Unit, Milan, ItalyDepartment of Life Health Sciences and Health Professions, Link Campus University, Rome, ItalyHealth Professions Research and Development Unit, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, ItalyMeyer Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Pediatric and Transition Cardiology, Florence, ItalyDepartment of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, Section of Hygiene, University of Pavia, Pavia, ItalyHealth Professions Research and Development Unit, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy; Department of Biomedical Science for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Corresponding author. Via Carlo Pascal 36, Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy.The frailty of family caregivers (FCs) of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) is an underrecognized yet critical issue in healthcare. As individuals with CHD live longer, their FCs, often aging alongside them, face escalating physical, emotional, and psychological challenges. This brief report examines frailty in FCs as a multidimensional issue stemming from prolonged caregiving demands and cumulative stress. The evidence gathered in this regard identifies three key domains affecting FCs: psychological stress and childcare, physical health decline, and the challenges of caregiving during transitions to adulthood. These findings underscore the urgent need for family-centered care models that incorporate tailored frailty assessments and targeted interventions to support FCs throughout their caregiving journey. Addressing caregiver frailty could improve outcomes for both patients and caregivers, strengthen resilience, and optimize resource allocation. This perspective calls for immediate action in research and policy to prioritize caregiver well-being in transition care programs, enhancing the quality of life for both caregivers and patients.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666668525000035Congenital heart diseaseFamily caregiversFrailtyTransition to adult careFamily-centered careHealth outcomes |
| spellingShingle | Arianna Magon Serena Francesca Flocco Laura Schianchi Massimo Chessa Daniele Ciofi Salvatore Angileri Maddalena De Maria Gianluca Conte Silvia Favilli Cristina Arrigoni Rosario Caruso Family caregiver frailty in adult congenital heart disease is overlooked: A call to action International Journal of Cardiology Congenital Heart Disease Congenital heart disease Family caregivers Frailty Transition to adult care Family-centered care Health outcomes |
| title | Family caregiver frailty in adult congenital heart disease is overlooked: A call to action |
| title_full | Family caregiver frailty in adult congenital heart disease is overlooked: A call to action |
| title_fullStr | Family caregiver frailty in adult congenital heart disease is overlooked: A call to action |
| title_full_unstemmed | Family caregiver frailty in adult congenital heart disease is overlooked: A call to action |
| title_short | Family caregiver frailty in adult congenital heart disease is overlooked: A call to action |
| title_sort | family caregiver frailty in adult congenital heart disease is overlooked a call to action |
| topic | Congenital heart disease Family caregivers Frailty Transition to adult care Family-centered care Health outcomes |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666668525000035 |
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