PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To test a model of family caregiving derived from the interactionist approach to role theory that hypothesized that three caregiving role implementation variables (caregiving demand, mutuality between caregivers and patients, and preparedness for caregiving) would predict multiple caregiving-specific and generic outcomes with different patterns of association across outcomes....

There are 5.3 million people with Alzheimer’s disease in the US—a number expected to grow as the baby-boomer generation enters old age, with estimates that 7.7 million people will be affected by 2030. From 65 to 75% of dementia patients are cared for at home by family members. According to the 2010 Alzheimer’s Association Facts and Figures report, 10.9 million Americans provide 12.5 billion hou...

This issue of Medicine & Health/ Rhode Island offers a broad perspective of caregiving across distinct developmental periods and with various illnesses. While the primary emphasis is family caregiving, attention is also devoted to professional caregivers in nursing homes. Below is a brief description for clinicians regarding options for assessing the needs of family caregivers. This introductio...

Aim: This study was conducted to examine the care burden of caregiving family members of oncology patients and the perceived social support from family. Methods: The study was conducted as a descriptive and correlational study. The population of the study consisted of caregiving family members of patients who were receiving treatment in the medical oncology clinic of a university hospital betwe...

Informal caregiving by close ones plays cardinal role in the health and life quality of chronically ill elderly people. Chronically ill older family members are largely dependent upon family caregiving to carry out everyday self-maintenance tasks identified as Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL). The present paper examines experiences and problems...

The present study was intended to replicate the findings of Steffen et al. (2002) of a negative relationship between caregiving self-efficacy and depressive symptoms among family dementia caregivers. Female family caregivers (N=74) of community-dwelling individuals diagnosed with dementia completed a telephone interview and self-report assessment packet that included measures of caregiving self...

Family members caring for aging parents experience both negative and positive outcomes from providing care. Theoretical explanations for negative outcomes have been developed. There is need for models that explain and predict positive outcomes. This article describes the evolution of the Caregiver Empowerment Model (CEM) to explain and predict positive outcomes of family caregiving. Although em...

BACKGROUND Caring for a terminally ill family member can be extremely stressful, and stress is known to have a negative influence on aspects of cognition. In contrast to the well-known physical and mental health risks associated with caregiving, little is known about its impact on cognitive functioning. OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this study was to explore cognition among caregivers of...

Providing care for older adults is a challenging task, particularly when close family members are involved: instead of spending quality time with the other person, caregiving relationships often focus on daily needs of the older adult, leaving little room for persons to communicate outside the caregiving context. In this paper, we examine the design of interactive technologies to support caregi...