Caring for a relative with Alzheimer's disease: The experience of African-American and Caucasian caregivers

Abstract

Existing research on caregiving and Alzheimer's disease (AD) has focused primarily on Caucasian family caregivers with considerably less information focused on African-American family caregivers. The purpose of this study was to explore African-American caregivers’ perception of caregiving and related care issues. A total of 34-caregivers (the majority being African-American) from the metropolitan area of Chicago, who cared for a close relative with AD at home, participated in five focus groups. Four major themes emerged from the qualitative data analysis: •Understanding the illness; •Dealing with the impaired family member; •Dealing with others and the impact of the disease; and •Adopting a management philosophy. Recommendations are made for future family education and outreach efforts for African-American caregivers, as well as for clinicians and researchers.