Is Dementia-Specific Caregiving Compared With Non-Dementia Caregiving Associated With Physical Difficulty Among Caregivers for Community-Dwelling Adults?

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study is to identify whether dementia caregiving is associated with physical difficulty among informal caregivers. Methods: This cross-sectional retrospective cohort study design used data from the 2015 National Health and Aging Trends Study and the National Study of Caregiving. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the association between substantial physical difficulty and dementia caregiving among 1,871 caregivers. Results: Nearly 14% of the caregivers reported substantial physical difficulty. Dementia caregivers were 1.5 times more likely to report caregiving-related substantial physical difficulty (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.58, p = .04) than non-dementia caregivers. Factors associated with substantial physical difficulty included caregiver gender, self-rated health, depressive symptoms, pain, and caring for someone receiving assistance with three or more self-care or mobility activities. Discussion: Future studies should identify strategies to mitigate the physical demands on dementia caregivers. Early monitoring of caregivers’ self-rated health, depressive symptoms, and pain may identify those more likely to experience physical difficulty.

2022 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures

“…A9 Dementia caregivers are 1.5 times more likely to indicate substantial physical difficulty providing assistance to their care recipients compared with non-dementia caregivers. 486 The distress associated with caring for a relative with Alzheimer's or another dementia has also been shown to negatively influence the quality of family caregivers' sleep. 487,488 Compared with those of the same age who were not caregivers, caregivers of people with dementia are estimated to lose between 2.4 hours and 3.5 hours of sleep a week.…”

“…As shown in Figure 10, 38% of Alzheimer's and other dementia caregivers indicate that the physical stress of caregiving is high to very high A9 . Dementia caregivers are 1.5 times more likely to indicate substantial physical difficulty providing assistance to their care recipients compared with non‐dementia caregivers 486 . The distress associated with caring for a relative with Alzheimer's or another dementia has also been shown to negatively influence the quality of family caregivers’ sleep 487,488 .…”

Effect of psychological first aid program on stress level and psychological well-being among caregivers of older adults with alzheimer’s disease

“…Caring for an older person with AD is more difficult than caring for a loved one with other chronic diseases or impairments [ 5 ]. Dementia caregivers are more likely than nondementia caregivers to provide more hours of care, to assist elders with personal activities of daily living (ADLs), to protect them from harm, to deal with agitated behaviors and to provide more types of long-term care [ 6 – 8 ]. These responsibilities tire caregivers and make them vulnerable to stress-related disorders [ 9 , 10 ].…”

What Matters Most? Intersectional Correlates of Caregiver Burdens

“…Gender is another sociodemographic characteristic prominent in the caregiver burden literature (Parker et al, 2021). Overall, women tend to provide more care regardless of ethnicity, race, physical demands associated with caregiving, and other sociodemographic factors (Cohen et al, 2019; Parker et al, 2021).…”

“…Gender is another sociodemographic characteristic prominent in the caregiver burden literature (Parker et al, 2021). Overall, women tend to provide more care regardless of ethnicity, race, physical demands associated with caregiving, and other sociodemographic factors (Cohen et al, 2019; Parker et al, 2021). However, Cohen et al (2019) noted that black women were more likely to provide caregiving than white women and men, yet few studies examine a broad range of intersections of sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., race and gender, age and income) as related to caregiver burden.…”