FACTORS AFFECTING THE EXPERIENCE AND OUTCOMES OF CARING FOR OLDER ADULTS: EVIDENCE ACROSS CONTEXTS AND COGNITION

Abstract

More than 34 million Americans act as informal caregivers for adults aged 50 and above, with nearly 16 million of these caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. Given the immense number of dementia and other caregivers in the United States and the unique challenges they face, it is important to better understand the experience of these caregivers and factors affecting their mental health, physical health, and health behaviors. Consequently, this symposium examines situational and other factors affecting the experience of the caregiving role. Taylor et al. will discuss the relationship between pain in persons with dementia and caregiver burden, and whether this relationship is mediated by upset with behavioral symptoms. Parker and Gitlin examine the association between the use of adult day services and scheduled health appointments among dementia family caregivers with a chronic condition. Marx et al. will report the outcomes of focus groups assessing care-related mental health issues of both formal and informal dementia caregivers. Sloan et al. explore attitudes and beliefs about advance care planning, palliative care, and end-of-life care among predominantly African-American caregivers recruited from an urban church setting. Regier and Gitlin will present the effects of care-related structural, logistical, and emotional variables on mental health and pain in caregivers of persons with dementia participating in the National Study on Caregiving. Taken as a whole, this symposium will highlight factors that shape the experience of caring for older adults and have implications for mental and physical health and health behaviors.