Week 5 is the halfway point to the research project! It been an excited opportunity thus far. There has not been any major struggles or obstacles that my research partner and I have come across into. Fortunately, our research has been productive and engaging. Our team hopes to wrap up our interview by the end of next week. 🙂 (Yay!!)

Data Analysis:

On Wednesday, our research team and i spent four hours early in the morning analyzing the data

On Thursday, our team had a busy day where Flannery, Aehong, and I spent 3 hours continuing data analysis, where we have been creating categories in which we found common issues and research topics that our team can analyze more in depth. Our team is considering the possibility of stages that create an obstacle for respite care according to some our current analysis.

1. Resistance to Admit Problems – We have seen family caregivers who have been asked if they have had any issues from minor to major issues with their recipient. Most caregivers denied to have any issues at first, but when presented with a similar question again, caregivers tended to admit issues during their interview.
2. Access to Respite – Several caregivers admitted that several costs of respite caregiving has been either too high or insufficient and inadequate to the needs of the recipients. This stage is critical and is currently being investigated much more in depth with future interviews.
3. Trust – Almost all participants feel trusting caregivers as a barrier, including some that have no choice but to trust the caregiver.
4. Availability of Resources – This is a minor stage our team is considering, with only two participants noting the availability of resources available to both the caregiver and the recipient. This seems to be a concern with people living with Dementia, Alzheimer’s, or Parkinson’s. This may involve our study to focus on these specific groups.

Since I will be presenting at next week’s REU meeting (Friday 6/29), I hope to bring these ideas to the full REU group and hopefully recieve feedback from graduate mentors, faculty, and REU students on this idea. Hopefully with the feedback, my team can maneuver to a challenge or idea and hopefully through my partner, Flannery, will be able to respond to the feedback in her presentation.

For a final product, my research team hopes to sketch either a web or mobile application directed in connecting older adults with caregivers, family caregivers, or respite care providers. This application would look like a Facebook or Twitter application in which information of specific caregivers can be seen by the recipient and can send “Friend Requests” as a form of connection in which the recipient would like to have the person as their caregiver.

My personal website is now live! You may check this out at the following link or clicking here :

gustavorazo.com

The Reviewer Response Table can be found on the following google link and clicking on the tab labeled “Reviewer Response.” My research team and I met to discuss the feedback we have received from our peers about our paper. Thus far, the feedback has been relatively positive with minor changes required. This made my team and I very happy with the outcome!