Caregivers of the Frail Elderly: A National Profile

Abstract

Many studies have documented the importance of family and friends in providing long-term care to the elderly. A study conducted in 1982 examined a nationally representative probability sample of informal caregivers assisting frail and/or disabled elderly persons in an effort to develop a descriptive profile of the informal caregiver. Data were drawn from the Informal Caregivers Survey, a component of the National Long-Term Care Survey (LTCS). From October 1982 through January 1983, interviews were conducted with 1,924 persons aged 14 years and older who were identified by the elderly participants of the LTCS as providing unpaid assistance with at least one activity of daily living. The results revealed that informal caregivers to the disabled elderly were predominantly female and that three-quarters of them lived with the care recipient. The findings suggest that caregivers as well as care recipients are a vulnerable group since one-third of the cargivers were over age 65, reported incomes in the poor to near-poor category, mid described their health status as fair or poor. Less than 10 percent of the caregivers reported purchasing services. Evidence was also found of competing familial ahd employment demands among a subgroup of caregivers. References and five data tables are appended. (Author/NB)

Caregiving burden and psychiatric morbidity in spouses of persons with mild cognitive impairment

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Atendimento domiciliar ao idoso: problema ou solução?

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Cuidador do idoso com câncer avançado: um ator vulnerado

“…Neste contexto surge o cuidador principal, ou seja, aquele responsável pelas tarefas, dentre outras, de auxílio no dia-adia ao idoso dependente e que, em geral, é proveniente do próprio núcleo familiar 7,8,9,10 .…”