Caregiving Tasks,Caregiver Stress,and Self-Rated Health Among Family Caregivers of Older Persons: The Role of Economic and Community Resources

Abstract

Using nationally representative data from 1,095 family caregivers of community-dwelling older adults in the United States (mean age = 57.9 years), this study examined associations among caregiving tasks, caregiver stress, and self-rated health and tested the moderating roles of access to community-based care services and household income. Greater caregiving task involvement was associated with poorer self-rated health, and caregiver stress mediated this relationship. Easier access to community-based services attenuated the association between caregiving tasks and stress, thereby weakening the indirect effect on health. In contrast, household income was neither significantly related to caregiver stress nor a significant moderator of the caregiving tasks–stress link. Findings underscore the importance of multilevel social work interventions that reduce caregiver stress and improve service accessibility, highlighting structural supports over financial resources alone in protecting caregivers’ health.