activities

There are over five million people in the United States living with dementia. Most live at home and are cared for by family. These family caregivers often assume care responsibilities without education about the disease, skills training, or support, and in turn become at risk for depression, burden, and adverse health outcomes when compared to non-dementia caregivers. Despite over 200 caregiver interventions with proven benefits, many caregivers lack access to these programs.

Time spent on family care of frail older people is difficult to substantiate because of its complex nature. The aim of this study is to check the content validity of existing questionnaires measuring the time spent on caring. Comparing the activities mentioned in the questionnaires with those from other data sources (three validated scales measuring the functional limitations in day-to-day activities and a qualitative study) enabled identification of important drawbacks in the questionnaires reviewed.