Purpose: The purpose of this study was to longitudinally explore the experiences of young adult, adult, and older adult intergenerational caregivers caring for a parent with end-stage heart failure (HF). Design: This study was a secondary analysis of qualitative data collected during a longitudinal study that sought to determine the palliative care needs of individuals with end-stage HF and their family caregivers. Methods: Longitudinal interviews from 23 young adult, adult, and older adult children who were caring for a parent with end-stage HF were selected for thematic analysis. Researchers individually analyzed the interviews and then, as a group, came to a consensus about themes. Findings: Five major themes were identified: caregiver resources, role management, caregiver–parent relationships, filial responsibility, and personal benefits and challenges. Conclusions: These intergenerational caregivers struggled to balance their busy lives and caregiving roles. However, most felt supported by other family members or external resources. Longitudinal findings support a need for improved employer-based support for intergenerational caregivers and special attention to young carers in research and practice. Recognition of and advocacy for intergenerational caregivers providing care for a chronically ill parent is needed.
Aims A cardiopulmonary exercise (CPX) test is considered the gold standard in evaluating maximal oxygen uptake. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive validity of equations provided by Burr et al., Ross et al., Adedoyin et al., and Cahalin et al. in predicting peak VO 2 from 6 min walk test (6MWT) distance in patients with heart failure (HF). Methods and Results New York Heart Association Class I-III HF patients performed a maximal effort CPX test and two 6MWTs. Correlations between CPX VO 2 peak and the predicted VO 2 peak , coefficient of determination (R 2), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) scores were calculated. P-values were set at 0.05. A total of 106 participants aged 62.5 ± 11.5 years completed the tests. The mean VO 2 peak from CPX testing was 16.4 ± 3.9 mL/kg/min, and the mean 6MWT distance was 419.2 ± 93.0 m. The predicted mean VO 2 peak (mL/kg/min) by Burr et al.,
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