MICARE Study
Collaborative project across all research lines
MICARE Study
One of the challenges our country faces is to have more robust and specific evidence about people who perform care activities. To this end, we have developed the MICARE Survey and are already collecting data in four regions of Chile (Coquimbo, Valparaiso, Biobío, and Metropolitan). This process will continue until 2025.
Objectives
a. To gather empirical information on the care experience of people who assist with activities of daily living or facilitate decision-making for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and older people with dependency (OPD) who require such support.
b. To understand both the positive aspects and the dilemmas faced by carers/companions of OPD and people with IDD, seeking to promote the design of training programs focused on their rights and social validity.
The survey will obtain information about:
- Institutional Caregivers for Older People with Dependency (OPD).
- Institutional Caregivers for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD).
- Home Caregivers for Older People with Dependency (OPD).
- Home Caregivers for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD).
Design:
Regarding the survey design for institutional caregivers, it is a cross-sectional type with a target population consisting of: i) Caregivers aged 18 and older who perform formal caregiving duties for dependent people aged 60 and over, who permanently reside in Long-Term Care Facilities for Older Adults (ELEAM in Spanish), and ii) Caregivers of people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) aged 0 and over, who receive regular care in IDD Centers. A total of 1,100 cases will be sampled across four regions of the country (Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Biobío, and Metropolitan), with 550 caregivers from ELEAM and 550 caregivers from DID centers.
The survey on home caregivers has a longitudinal design and targets two groups: i) Informal caregivers aged 18 and over who provide care for dependent persons aged 60 and over, and ii) Caregivers of individuals with IDD of 0 years and older, who live in the same household or neighborhood (i.e. family members, neighbors, or friends). The application of instruments will be carried out in 4 regions of the country (Coquimbo, Valparaiso, Biobío, and Metropolitan), collecting data in three rounds between 2023 and 2025. It is expected to start with a sample of 1100 informal caregivers of OPD and 1100 caregivers of individuals with IDD for the first wave.
