A STUDY OF THE CAREGIVING ACTIVITIES OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL CAREGIVERS AT THE PAEDIATRIC WARD OF THE CAPE COAST TEACHING HOSPITAL, GHANA

Relationships are formed between formal and informal caregivers as they cater for in-patients. These relationships are formed as they perform their caregiving activities. The various caregiving tasks of formal and informal caregivers tend to overlap, causing conflict in the relationships between formal and informal caregivers. Conflicts between caregivers negatively affect the health care of in-patients. There is therefore the need for caregivers (both formal and informal) to know what their various tasks are, which is a step toward a coordinated working relationship between them. Studies have found that caregiving roles, communication and role expectations and perceptions of formal and informal caregivers determine whether both parties can coordinate their various caregiving tasks. Limited research is also found on how formal and informal caregivers relate with one another in providing care for the elderly and those with specific ailments such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and delirium who might not be necessarily hospitalised. Previous studies have not treated the various tasks performed by formal and informal caregivers and the tasks that overlap between them which is the focus of this study. A sample size of 21 study participants, including eight in-patients, eight informal caregivers and five formal caregivers, was used. The study adopted the qualitative research approach using interviews and observation to gather data from formal and informal caregivers. It was found that specialised caregiving tasks were performed by formal caregivers while unspecialised caregiving tasks were performed by informal caregivers. Overlaps in the performance of specialised and unspecialised caregiving tasks were detected when some caregiving tasks that otherwise required unspecialised skills needed to be performed with specialised skills. Where a minimum level of skill was required, informal caregivers were taught a few skills to enable them to undertake those tasks. In order to improve the working relationship between formal and informal caregivers at the paediatric ward of the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, it is recommended that these minor training by formal caregivers are intensified to improve the working relationship between formal and informal caregivers. Hospitals should also have clearly delineated roles for formal and informal caregivers to avoid overlapping caregiving tasks. This will ultimately enhance the quality of care provided to in-patients by improving communication between caregivers and reducing conflicts. Article visualizations