This paper presents a profile of 1,337 caregivers of brain impaired adults in California. The findings are based on the first statewide descriptive study of caregivers and patients across diagnostic categories of brain impairment. Regardless of the type of patient brain impairment, caregivers were found to have similarly high levels of depression, burden, and fair to poor physical health. Implications for long term care policy and service development are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
1. Dring R: The informal caregiver responsible for home care of the individual with cognitive dysfunction following brain injury. J Neuroscience Nursing, 1989;21:42-45
2.
2. Friss L: A model state level approach to family survival for caregivers of brain-impaired adults. The Gerontologist, 1990;30:121-125
3.
3. Petty D: Testimony of family survival project to the California Assembly Select Committee on Mental Health. May 1984
4.
4. Lindeman D, Bliwise N, Berkowitz G: Development of a uniform, comprehensive nomenclature and data collection protocol for brain disorders. San Francisco, CA, Institute for Health and Aging, 1986
5.
5. Poulschock SW, Deimling GT: Families caring for elders in residence. J Gerontol, 1984;39:230-239
6.
6. Scharlach AE: A comparison of employed caregivers of cognitively-impaired and physically-impaired elderly persons. Research on Aging, 1989;11:225-243
7.
7. U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment: Losing a million minds: Confronting the tragedy of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Washington, DC, US Govt Printing Office, 1987
8.
8. Chenoweth B, Spencer B: Dementia: The experience of family caregivers. The Gerontologist, 1986;26:267-272
9.
9. Cohen D, Eisdorfer C: Depression in family members caring for a relative with Alzheimer's disease. J Amer Geriatr Soc, 1988;36:885-889
10.
10. Fitting M, Rabins P, Lucas MJ, Eastham I: Caregivers for dementia patients: A comparison of husbands and wives. The Gerontologist, 1986;26:248-252
11.
11. George LK, Gwyther LP: Caregiver wellbeing: A multidimensional examination of family caregivers of demented adults. The Gerontologist, 1986;26:253-259
12.
12. Ory MG, Williams FT, Emr M, Lebowitz B, Rabins P.Salloway J.Sluss-Radbaugh T, Wolff E, Zarit S: Families, informal supports, and Alzheimer's disease. Research on Aging, 1985;7:623-644
13.
13. Pruchno RA, Resch NL: Aberrant behaviors and Alzheimer's disease: Mental health effects on spouse caregivers. J Gerontol, 1989;44: s177-s182
14.
14. Rabins PV, Mace NL, Lucas MJ: The impact of dementia on the family. JAMA, 1982;248: 333-335
15.
15. Zarit SH, Reever KE, Bach-Peterson J: Relatives of the impaired elderly: Correlates of feelings and burden. The Gerontologist, 1980;20:649-655
16.
16. Zarit SH, Todd PA, Zarit JM: Subjective burden of husbands and wives as caregivers: A longitudinal study. The Gerontologist, 1986;26:260-266
17.
17. Norris VK, Stephens MAP, Kinney JM: The impact of family interactions on recovery from stroke: Help or hindrance?The Gerontologist, 1990;30:535-542
18.
18. Silliman RA, Earp JL, Fletcher RH, Wagner EH: Stroke: The perspective of family caregivers. J Applied Gerontol, 1987;6:363-371
19.
19. Schulz R, Tompkins, Rau MT: A longitudinal study of the psychological impact of stroke on primary support persons. Psychol & Aging, 1988;3:131-141
20.
20. Wade DT, Legh-Smith J, Hewer RL: Effects of living with and looking after survivors of stroke. Brit Med J: 1986;293:418-420
21.
21. Brooks N, Campsie L, Symington C, Beattie A, McKinlay W: The effects of severe head injury on patients and relatives within seven years of injury. J of Head Trauma Rehab, 1987;2:1-13
22.
22. Lezak MD: Living with the characteristically altered brain-injured patient. J Clin Psychiat, 1978;39:592-598
23.
23. Mauss-Clum N, Ryan M: Brain injury and the family. J Neurosurg Nursing, 1981;13:165-169
24.
24. Schwentor D, Brown P: Assessment of families with a traumatically brain-injured relative. Cognitive Rehab, 1989;7:8-20
25.
25. Friss L, Whitlatch C, Yale R: Who's taking care: A profile of California's family caregivers of brain-impaired adults. San Francisco, CA, Family Survival Project, 1990
26.
26. Pearlin LI, Mullan JT, Semple SJ, Skaff MM: Caregiving and the stress process: An overview of concepts and their measures. The Gerontologist, 1990;30:583-594
27.
27. Zarit JM: Predictors of burden and distress for caregivers of senile dementia patients. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA, 1982. As cited by Zarit SH, Todd PA, Zarit JM: Subjective burden of husbands and wives as caregivers: A longitudinal study. The Gerontologist, 1986;26:260-266
28.
28. Weiner AS: Correlates of caring for a relative with dementia: A review of the literature. Am J Alz Care and Rel Disorders & Research, 1990;5:4-13
29.
29. Radloff LS: The Ces-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1977;1:385-401
30.
30. Radloff LS, Teri L: Use of the center for epidemiological studies depression scale with older adults. Clin Gerontol, 1986;5:119-135
31.
31. Keenan MP: Changing needs for long term care: A chartbook. Washington, DC: AARP, 1989
32.
32. Stone R, Cafferta GL, Sangl J: Caregivers of the frail elderly: A national profile. The Gerontologist, 1987;27:616-626
33.
33. Murrell SA, Himmelfarb S, Wright K: Prevalence of depression and its correlatives in older adults. Am J Epidemiol, 1983;117:173-185
34.
34. Haley WE, Pardo KM: Relationship of severity of dementia to caregiving stressors. Psychol and Aging, 1989;4:389-392
35.
35. Brody EM, Dempsey NP, Pruchno RA: Mental health of sons and daughters of the institutionalized aged. The Gerontologist, 1990;30:212-219
36.
36. Haley WE, Brown SLLevine EG: Experimental evaluation of the effectiveness of group interventions for dementia caregivers. The Gerontologist, 1987;27:376-382
37.
37. Zarit SH, Anthony CR, Boutselis M: Interventions with caregivers of dementia patients: Comparison of two approaches. Psychol and Aging, 1987;2:225-232
38.
38. Whitlatch CJ, Zarit SJ, Von Eye A: Efficacy of interventions with caregivers: A reanalysis. The Gerontologist, 1991;31:9-14
