Caregiver Outcomes and the Impact of Resources for Family Members Providing Care to Community Dwelling Older Adults

Open Access
- Author:
- Mcghan, Gwen E
- Graduate Program:
- Nursing
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- June 16, 2014
- Committee Members:
- Janice Lee Penrod, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Ann Marie Kolanowski, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Amy M Sawyer, Committee Member
Rhonda Belue, Committee Member - Keywords:
- Older Adults
Family Caregivers
Resources - Abstract:
- Background: Outcomes for family caregivers is an important topic given the aging population, as providing care to a loved one, particularly an older adult, has become a common occurrence. With the growing numbers of people requiring care, family members are increasingly filling the caregiving role. Caregiving experiences can range from those that are relatively easy to manage to those that are burdensome and cause caregiver strain. Caregivers with the heaviest responsibilities are vulnerable to risks such as a decline in mental or physical health. Recent research has begun to address the positive aspects of caregiving including improved well-being and health benefits. What is less well known is how resources, both utilization and perception of adequacy, in the caregiving role may support the family caregiver in providing care to a community dwelling older adult. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if resource utilization and family caregivers’ perception of resource adequacy are associated with caregiver strain and satisfaction, specifically if caregiver outcomes are moderated by resource utilization and adequacy. Methods: To examine caregiver outcomes and the association of resources with those outcomes, a secondary analysis of data from the Informal Caregiver Survey was conducted. Bivariate analysis and hierarchical regression models were used to examine the relationship between caregiving demands and caregiver outcomes of satisfaction and strain. Hierarchical regression with moderation was used to examine if resource utilization and perceptions of resource adequacy moderate the relationship between caregiving demands and caregiver satisfaction and strain. Results: A significant positive relationship was found between caregiving demands and caregiver strain, suggesting that as caregiving demands increase levels of caregiver strain do as well. The utilization of formal resources also has a positive relationship with caregiver strain indicating that as resource utilization increases so do levels of caregiver strain. Social support was found to have a positive relationship with caregiver satisfaction and a negative relationship with caregiver strain indicating that perceived levels of higher social support are associated with higher levels of caregiver satisfaction and lower levels of caregiver strain. Family support was found to have a positive relationship with caregiver strain, indicating that as levels of family support increase so do levels of caregiver strain. Finally, the perception of formal resource adequacy was found to have a negative relationship with caregiver strain meaning that higher levels of perceived adequacy are associated with lower levels of strain. Additionally, resource adequacy was found to moderate the relationship between caregiving demands and caregiver strain with individuals reporting the highest levels of resource adequacy experiencing the lowest levels of caregiver strain. Conclusion: Understanding the caregiving experience and the impact it has on family caregivers is a critical consideration given the sheer numbers of caregivers and the invaluable service they provide. This study begins to address the question of how resources in the caregiving role can impact both the positive and negative outcomes for family caregivers. It also highlights that not all resources are equal; different resources are required to support the individual caregiving context. Findings from this study contribute to the importance of providing targeted resources to family caregivers which may be especially salient for those without a supportive family, lack social support or whose needs are unmet in the caregiving role.