Caregiver

Informal caregiving is the most common form of long-term care provided in the United States, and with the projected rapid growth of older adults, informal caregiving will be even more critical in the foreseeable future. In the United States, slightly more than 20% of informal caregivers provide care for more than one care recipient, and 10% provide care for three or more care recipients. Caring for a dependent, older adult patient may have negative effects on physical, psychological, psychosocial, social and financial health of caregivers.

Informal caregiving is the most common form of long-term care provided in the United States, and with the projected rapid growth of older adults, informal caregiving will be even more critical in the foreseeable future. In the United States, slightly more than 20% of informal caregivers provide care for more than one care recipient, and 10% provide care for three or more care recipients. Caring for a dependent, older adult patient may have negative effects on physical, psychological, psychosocial, social and financial health of caregivers.

Objectives: Available data suggest high burden on caregivers of patients with bipolar disorder (BD), yet the well-being of patients with BD increasingly depends on family members, partners and close friends. As patients with BD get older, the need for informal care may shift. We aimed to describe the caregivers of older adults with BD (OABD) and explore what patients' and caregivers' characteristics are associated with caregiver burden. Method: Forty-seven caregivers of OABD were questioned about their perceived burden and depressive symptoms.

Aims and Objectives: To examine the relationship between psychiatric patients' caregiver burden and anger expression styles.; Background: In the caregiving process, when coping with problems, caregivers may exhibit emotional and behavioural responses, which can produce distressful results. One of these responses is angry.

Objectives: To examine the effects of a telephone-delivered intervention, Family Intervention: Telephone Tracking-Caregiver (FITT-C), on community support and healthcare use by dementia caregivers.; Design: Randomized, controlled trial.; Setting: Academic medical center.; Participants: Dyads (n = 250) of distressed informal dementia caregivers and care recipients.; Intervention: Caregivers were randomly assigned to receive the FITT-C (n = 133) or telephone support (TS; n = 117).

Objectives: The Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) was developed to advance participants' self-care of chronic illness and may be offered to both individuals with chronic conditions and their caregivers. Previous studies of CDSMP have identified multiple resulting health benefits for participants as well as factors associated with participants' completion rates.

Background: Although the quality of life (QoL) experienced by patients with schizophrenia has been recognized, few studies have assessed the relationship between the caregivers' QoL and patients' QoL.; Methods: The study included 253 stabilized outpatients with schizophrenia and their caregivers from 3 Mental Health Services in Bolivia (N = 83), Chile (N = 85) and Peru (N = 85). Caregivers' and patients' QoL were respectively assessed using two specific QoL questionnaires (S-CGQoL and S-QoL 18). We collected socio-demographic information and clinical data.

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) affect over 5 million Americans. Over a typical disease course of 5-10 years, family caregivers provide the majority of the day-to-day hands-on on care for persons with dementia. Most caregivers enter this complex role with little training and inadequate household resources and they are tasked to navigate a fragmented health care system as well as a patchwork of community services. Our nation can and should do more to help family caregivers provide care in the home to their loved ones who suffer from dementia.

Objective: Family caregiver involvement may improve patient and family outcomes in the intensive care unit.