TY - JOUR
AU - C. Bao
AU - H. Liu
AU - T. Marohabutr
A1 - 
AB - BACKGROUND: Rapid population aging has increased the demand for integrated care for older adults, particularly in rural areas where older adults frequently experience chronic illness, frailty, and limited access to healthcare. Caregivers, both formal and informal, play a central role in supporting the wellbeing of older adults but often face substantial physical, emotional, and financial burdens. Understanding caregiver support is therefore essential to strengthening integrated care for rural older adult populations. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors influencing caregiver support within integrated care for older adults in rural areas and to highlight evidence gaps for future research. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted following the Arksey and O'Malley framework. Four databases (PubMed, Scopus, Wiley Online Library, and Taylor & Francis) were searched for English-language studies published between 2014 and 2024. Of 371 records identified, 25 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed by research type, methodology, caregiver type, and caregiver support factors. RESULTS: Nineteen caregiver support factors were identified and categorized into five domains: social and community, financial, e-health, policy, and spatial. Key challenges included limited education and training opportunities, financial strain, restricted access to telehealth services, inadequate policy support, and transportation barriers. Informal caregivers, primarily family members, predominated in rural settings and experienced greater caregiving burdens due to limited institutional and service support. CONCLUSION: Caregiver support is a critical component of effective integrated care for older adults in rural areas. Strengthening social and community networks, financial assistance, e-health infrastructure, and policy frameworks is essential to reducing caregiver burden and improving outcomes for older adults. Future research should prioritize context-specific caregiver support strategies tailored to rural settings.
AD - The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China.; Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
AN - 42007339
BT - Front Public Health
C5 - Healthcare Disparities
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1801277
DP - NLM
ET - 20260402
JF - Front Public Health
LA - eng
N2 - BACKGROUND: Rapid population aging has increased the demand for integrated care for older adults, particularly in rural areas where older adults frequently experience chronic illness, frailty, and limited access to healthcare. Caregivers, both formal and informal, play a central role in supporting the wellbeing of older adults but often face substantial physical, emotional, and financial burdens. Understanding caregiver support is therefore essential to strengthening integrated care for rural older adult populations. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors influencing caregiver support within integrated care for older adults in rural areas and to highlight evidence gaps for future research. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted following the Arksey and O'Malley framework. Four databases (PubMed, Scopus, Wiley Online Library, and Taylor & Francis) were searched for English-language studies published between 2014 and 2024. Of 371 records identified, 25 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed by research type, methodology, caregiver type, and caregiver support factors. RESULTS: Nineteen caregiver support factors were identified and categorized into five domains: social and community, financial, e-health, policy, and spatial. Key challenges included limited education and training opportunities, financial strain, restricted access to telehealth services, inadequate policy support, and transportation barriers. Informal caregivers, primarily family members, predominated in rural settings and experienced greater caregiving burdens due to limited institutional and service support. CONCLUSION: Caregiver support is a critical component of effective integrated care for older adults in rural areas. Strengthening social and community networks, financial assistance, e-health infrastructure, and policy frameworks is essential to reducing caregiver burden and improving outcomes for older adults. Future research should prioritize context-specific caregiver support strategies tailored to rural settings.
PY - 2026
SN - 2296-2565
SP - 1801277
ST - Factors of caregiver support under integrated care for older adults in rural areas: a scoping review
T1 - Factors of caregiver support under integrated care for older adults in rural areas: a scoping review
T2 - Front Public Health
TI - Factors of caregiver support under integrated care for older adults in rural areas: a scoping review
U1 - Healthcare Disparities
U3 - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1801277
VL - 14
VO - 2296-2565
Y1 - 2026
ER -