The need for evidence-based non-pharmacological community programs to improve care of older adults with dementia is self-evident, considering the sheer numbers of affected individuals; the emotional, physical, and financial toll on affected individuals and their caregivers; the impact on our health care system; and the growing availability of…

Purpose: To describe caregivers' constructions of their caregiving role in providing care to elders they knew were dying from life-limiting illnesses. Design and Methods: Study involved in-depth interviews with 27 family caregivers. Data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis. Results: Four categories were identified: centering life on…

Purpose: Assess psychometric properties of scales developed to assess experience and perception of physical, psychological, and existential suffering in older individuals. Design and Methods: Scales were administered to 3 populations of older persons and/or their family caregivers: individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and their family…

Purpose: Caregivers of stroke patients may adapt to changes in patient functioning over time. If adaptation occurs, then caregiver burden and health may be influenced more by worsening in patient functioning than by static levels of functioning. This study examines the relationship between patients' baseline and changes in functioning and…

Purpose: Several studies have previously documented the existence of a perception gap--the extent to which quality-of-life ratings provided by nursing home residents and caregivers diverge. In this study we use Helson's adaptation-level theory to investigate three types of antecedents: (a) focal factors, (b) background factors, and (c) residual…

Purpose: The primary goal of the Care-Receiver Efficacy Intervention (CREI) was to increase the capacity of cognitively able elderly care receivers to effectively manage their own care and optimize relationships with caregivers. To accomplish this, two forms of the CREI were created: an individual and a small-group form. The purpose of this study…

Purpose: Although it is widely recognized that caregivers of individuals with dementia experience elevated stress that places them at increased risk for health problems, little is known about how caregiving stress may be alleviated among underserved ethnic minority populations. The purpose of this study was to compare a complementary and…

Purpose: There is a growing consensus that quality of care for frail elders should include family and be evaluated in terms of patient-centered, family-focused care (PCFFC). Family caregivers are in a unique and sometimes sole position to evaluate such care. In the context of caring for physically frail elders, this study examined the extent to…

Assesses overall quality of life of caregivers, using a path model in which burden was conceptualized as distinct from well-being. Findings revealed that perceived social support is strongly related to well-being but unrelated to burden, reinforcing the conceptual distinctiveness of the two concepts. Suggests that quality of life of caregivers…

Purpose: Research underscores how autonomy and decision-making involvement may help to enhance the quality of life of older adults; however, individuals with dementia are often excluded from decision making that is related to their daily functioning. In this study we use a modified version of the Stress Process Model to consider the stress process…

Purpose: This study describes the development and psychometric properties of a 24-item scale to be used in both research and practice settings that assesses the everyday care values and preferences of individuals with cognitive impairment and the perceptions of family caregivers about their relative's values and preferences for care. Design and…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the factors associated with turnover and retention of direct care workers. We hypothesize that a dual-driver model that includes individual factors, on-the-job factors, off-the-job factors, and contextual factors can be used to distinguish between reasons for direct care workforces (DCWs)…

Developed and administered 17-item instrument to assess knowledge of specific mental health problems (depression, agitation, disorientation) and behavioral approaches to them to 191 nurse's aides and 21 clinicians with training in behavioral management and experience with older nursing home residents. Aides averaged 11 correct answers; clinicians…

Purpose: This study examined the short- and long-term effects of Adult Day Services Plus (ADS Plus), a low-cost care management intervention designed to enhance family caregiver well-being, increase service utilization, and decrease nursing home placement of impaired older adults enrolled in adult day care. Design and Methods: We used a…

Purpose: We examined predictors of intrinsic job satisfaction, overall satisfaction, and intention to leave the job among nursing assistants (NAs). Design and Methods: The study focused on NAs who worked 30 or more hours per week in a nursing home. Data on 2,146 NAs meeting this criterion came from the 2004 National Nursing Assistant Survey, the…