HOW DOES RACE/ ETHNICITY IMPACT CAREGIVING EXPERIENCES AMONG FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA?

Abstract

Dementia requires more long-term, serious care from caregivers. In 75% of these cases, people with dementia receive care at home and one or more family members is charged with caring for their loved ones with dementia. Due to the care provided by family caregivers, patients with dementia and society could be receiving benefits such as reduced health care costs. The serious consequences of caring for people with dementia, however, have generated physical, mental, and financial issues among caregivers. These results could be different among family caregivers with racial and ethnic backgrounds. The purpose of this study is to review recent published articles that focused on race, ethnicity, and dementia caregiving experiences. To be specific, the current study pays particular attention to three things. First, what racial or ethnic groups have been studied? Second, how has race/ethnicity been described and understood? Lastly, what were the main findings (regarding caregiving experiences)? Studies were identified through online bibliographic databases. Inclusion criteria: (1) published between 2006 and 2016, (2) family caregivers of people with dementia in community, (3) English language, (4) peer-reviewed journals, (5) conducted in either U.S or Canada, (6) rigorous study design and methods, (7) caregiving experiences. Among 51 studies, the majority of studies compared two or three groups such as White and Black caregivers or White, Black, Asian, and Hispanic caregivers. Only 13 studies investigated the following variables of interest to the examination of race and ethnicity such as caregivers’ immigration status, level of acculturation, and years in the U.S. In addition, the majority of the studies examined negative aspects of caregiving (i.e. depression, care burden, physical health) among family caregivers of people with dementia. Finding suggests that the caregivers’ demographic information which relates to cultural factors which may need to be further investigated in relationship to caregiving experiences.