Reciprocal influences between burnout and effectiveness in professional care for elders

Abstract

In community care, the quality of life of the care recipient and the quality of the care provider affect each other. This is a proposition derived from the dialectical perspective, which envisions the importance of promoting the quality of life of both the care recipient and provider. The proposition hinges on mediation by caring effectiveness. This mediation model is the focus of the present study. This study surveyed 232 dyads of Hong Kong Chinese older care recipients and their professional care providers in two waves. Psychological well-being and functional disability were the indicators of the quality of life of care recipients, whereas burnout was an indicator of the low quality of life of professional care providers. The results reinforce the mediation model by showing that caring effectiveness mediates the impact of the earlier burnout of the professional care provider on the subsequent psychological well-being of the care recipient. In turn, the earlier psychological well-being and functional disability of the care recipient also affect the burnout of the professional care provider. The results support the dialectical perspective.