Examines whether spouse caregivers of people either with noncognitive disorders (Parkinson's disease) or cognitive disorders (Alzheimer's disease) differed in their use and perception of social support resources. Results indicate that caregivers of spouses diagnosed with cognitive disorders were older, had fewer children, and had fewer financial…

This "gray paper" asserts that the physical, emotional, and financial needs of unpaid caregivers--usually women--have been largely ignored in our national health care policy regarding care for the severely disabled elderly. It discusses the problem of the caregiving role for wives of severely incapacitated husbands, noting that the present health…