Support Family Caregivers Research Articles

Evaluation of a stroke rehabilitation training programme for community-based primary healthcare.

Family caregiver training is an integral part of stroke rehabilitation programmes and is associated with improved caregiver and stroke survivor outcomes. In the Cape Winelands District, a low-resourced rural community-based setting in South Africa, stroke survivors and family caregivers mostly rely on assistance from community health workers (CHWs), despite their lack of stroke-specific rehabilitation training. To evaluate the implementation and immediate effects of a bespoke, 16 session, 21 h stroke rehabilitation training programme for CHWs to better support family caregivers. Two cooperative inquiry groups participated in participatory action research to design and develop the programme. This article reports on the implementation of this programme. Inquiry group members directly observed the training, obtained written and verbal feedback, interviewed CHWs and observed them in the community. Consensus on their learning was achieved after reflection on their experience and observations. Learning of the cooperative inquiry groups was categorised into the effect on community-based care, the training programme's design and development, how training was delivered and implications for service delivery. Community health workers empowered caregivers and stroke survivors and enabled access to care, continuity, coordination and person-centredness. The need for experiential learning and a spiral curriculum was confirmed. Therapists needed a different set of skills to deliver training. A systems approach and effective leadership were needed to enable community health workers to use their new skills. The stroke rehabilitation training programme demonstrated potential for integration into service delivery and equipping CHWs to support family caregivers and stroke survivors. Further evaluation of the programme's effectiveness and scale-up is needed. Evidence of an intervention to train CHWs to support stroke survivors and family caregivers.

Investigation of the Effect of an Online Supportive Education Program on the Family Caregivers’ Resilience and Abuse of People with Dementia: A Controlled Randomized Trial

Dementia and its progressive nature necessitate care and impose dependency on family caregivers, exposing them to psychological distress and even abuse of people with dementia. The effects of psychological distress and subsequent abuse can be lessened with increased resilience. This study investigates the effect of a supportive online education program on family caregivers’ resilience and abuse of people with dementia. In total, 74 family caregivers of dementia patients participated in this controlled randomized trial, which was conducted from February 2022 to July 2022. Data were gathered using the Walsh Family Resilience Questionnaire, and the Caregiver Abuse Screen. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software using descriptive and inferential statistics. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of baseline variables, resilience, and abuse. The intervention resulted in no significant difference in the scores of resilience ( p = .08) and abuse ( p = .447). Both the intervention ( p = .430) and control ( p = .082) groups showed no evidence of a significant change in resilience between before and after the intervention. However, a significant difference was found in the abuse scores before and after the study in the intervention group ( p = .022). The intervention did not significantly affect family caregivers’ resilience and abuse of people with dementia, but it reduced abuse in the intervention group. Taking note of these results, this study proposes other solutions to improve outcomes, and also education and support of family caregivers to diminish their abuse of people with dementia.

Managing Older Adults' Chronic Pain: Higher-Risk Interventions How to help caregivers promote safe pain management.

This article is part of a series, Supporting Family Caregivers: No Longer Home Alone, published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute. Results of focus groups, conducted as part of the AARP Public Policy Institute's No Longer Home Alone video project, supported evidence that family caregivers aren't given the information they need to manage the complex care regimens of family members. This series of articles and accompanying videos aims to help nurses provide caregivers with the tools they need to manage their family member's health care at home. This new group of articles provides practical information nurses can share with family caregivers of persons living with pain. To use this series, nurses should read the articles first, so they understand how best to help family caregivers. Then they can refer caregivers to the informational tear sheet-Information for Family Caregivers-and instructional videos, encouraging them to ask questions. For additional information, see Resources for Nurses. Cite this article as: Arnstein, P., et al. Managing Older Adults' Chronic Pain: Higher-Risk Interventions. Am J Nurs 2023; 123 (4): 56-61.

Adapting a Dutch Web-Based Intervention to Support Family Caregivers of People With Dementia in the UK Context: Accelerated Experience-Based Co-Design.

Around 700,000 family caregivers provide unpaid care for 900,000 people living with dementia in the United Kingdom. Few family caregivers receive support for their own psychological needs and funding for community respite services has declined. These trends are seen across Europe as demographic and budgetary pressures have intensified due to public spending cuts arising from the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization has prioritized the need to expand the provision of support for caregivers and families of people with dementia by 2025. Web-based interventions have the potential for development as they require modest investment and can be accessed by family caregivers at home. Further cost benefits can be realized by adapting existing interventions with demonstrated effectiveness for new contexts. This paper reports initial findings from the CareCoach study, which is adapting Partner in Balance (PiB), a web-based coaching intervention developed in the Netherlands, for family caregivers in the United Kingdom. This study aims to work with unpaid family caregivers and staff in adapting the Dutch web-based support tool PiB to improve its acceptability and usability for use in the United Kingdom. Accelerated Experience-Based Co-Design (AEBCD) was used with caregivers, staff, and core stakeholders. Interviews, workshops, and stakeholder consultations were conducted. Data were analyzed iteratively. Recommendations for the redesign of PiB for use across the United Kingdom were adjudicated by the study Adaptation Working Party. Sixteen caregivers and 17 staff took part in interviews. Thirteen caregivers and 17 staff took part in workshops. Most (n=26) participants were White, female, and retired. All except 4 caregivers (2 male and 2 female) found the PiB's offer of web-based self-help learning acceptable. Caregivers identified complexity and lack of inclusivity in some wording and video resources as problematic. The staff took a stronger perspective on the lack of inclusivity in PiB video resources. Staff and caregivers coproduced new inclusive wording and recommended creating new videos to adapt PiB for the UK context. AEBCD methods facilitated the engagement of caregivers and staff and advanced the adaptation of the PiB complex intervention. An important addition to the AEBCD method in this process was the work of an Adaptation Working Party, which adjudicated and agreed to new wording where this could not be established in consultation with caregivers and staff. ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN12540555; https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN12540555.

Barriers and Support for Family Caregivers in Caring for Older Adults with Dementia: A Qualitative Study in Indonesia

Background: Understanding the barriers and support that family caregivers face when caring for older adults with dementia is critical for improving the quality of dementia care. However, research in this area remains limited in Indonesia. Purpose: This study aimed to explore the barriers and support for family caregivers in caring for older adults with dementia in Indonesia.Methods: A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted among 15 family caregivers who cared for older adults with dementia. Purposive sampling was used to recruit the participants. Inclusion criteria included primary family caregivers who provided care for four hours per day for at least six months, were proficient in Indonesian, assisted older adults in daily activities, and were capable of expressing their experiences. Data were collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the Colaizzi method. Results: This study found that family caregivers faced barriers during the care of older adults with dementia, which have decreased the quality of care. These barriers included inadequate knowledge and skills of family caregivers regarding dementia, stigma, lack of knowledge and awareness in the community, limited availability of healthcare services, and healthcare professionals’ lack of knowledge about dementia. On the other hand, support received by family caregivers within the family, support from other family caregivers, and education provided by NGOs about caring for someone with dementia have shown a positive impact in reducing the burden on caregivers and improving the quality of care. Therefore, appropriate support is essential for family caregivers caring for older adults with dementia.Conclusion: This study showed that barriers originating from family caregivers, community awareness, access to health services, and barriers from health workers have impacted poor quality of care, while the support of families, fellow family caregivers, and NGOs have contributed to good quality of care. Further studies are needed to explore the perspectives of family caregivers representing different cultures in Indonesia.

Family caregiver readiness to adopt smart home technology to monitor care-Dependent older adults: A qualitative exploratory study.

The aim of this study was to explore factors that influence family caregiver readiness to adopt health smart home technology for their care-dependent older adult family member. Health smart homes are designed to remotely monitor the health and wellness of community-dwelling older adults supporting independent living for as long as possible. Accordingly, if the health smart home is deployed into the home of a care-depended older adult, it can potentially support family caregivers by facilitating workforce participation and give piece of mind to the family caregiver who may not live close to the older adult. However, wider adoption of health smart home technologies into the homes of community-older adults is low, and little is known about the factors that influence the readiness of family caregivers to adopt smart home technologies for their care-dependent older adults. A qualitative Descriptive study design was utilized. Qualitative data were collected between 2019 and 2020 via semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis of interviews was completed, and data were organized into themes. Study findings show that caregiver readiness (N = 10) to adopt smart home technology to monitor older adult family members were influenced by five primary themes including a 'big brother effect', 'framing for acceptance', 'data privacy', 'burden' and 'cost.' Family caregivers were open to adopting smart home technology to support the independent living of their older adult family members. However, the readiness of family caregivers was inextricably linked to the older adults' readiness for smart home adoption. The family caregiver's primary concern was on how they could frame the idea of the smart home to overcome what they viewed as hesitancy to adopt in the older adult. The findings suggest that family caregivers endeavour to balance the hesitancy in their older adult family members with the potential benefits of smart home technology. Family caregivers could benefit if their care-dependent older adults adopt smart home technology. Recognizing the role of caregivers and their perspectives on using smart home technologies with their care-dependents is critical to the meaningful design, use and adoption.

Clinic-based Assessment and Support for Family Caregivers of Patients With Cancer: Results of a Feasibility Study.

Cancer caregiving is burdensome with unique needs, highlighting the importance of assessing caregivers' distress. Caregivers often accompany patients to healthcare visits, presenting an opportunity to complete distress screening at patients' point-of-care. To evaluate the feasibility of caregiver distress screening at patients' point-of-care and implementing a caregiver psychoeducational session. We approached caregivers in outpatient cancer clinic waiting rooms. Participants completed depression, burden, anxiety, quality of life, and stress measures. A psychoeducational session with a psychologist was offered to those meeting clinical cutoffs for depression and/or burden. Fifty caregivers completed 1+ measure; however, due to incomplete consent documentation, findings from 23 caregivers are reported. 22% of caregivers screened positive for depression, 30% burden, and 70% anxiety. More than half rated stress as moderate or higher. Mental wellbeing was slightly below that of the general population. More than 75% screened positive on 1+ distress measure. Of the 9 caregivers who met cutoffs for depression and/or burden, two (22%) accepted the psychoeducational session. Caregivers were moderately receptive to distress screening during patients' visits, but were less receptive to engaging in the psychoeducational session due to time constraints and privacy concerns. Assessing caregivers' distress can facilitate referrals for supportive services. Offering caregivers psychoeducational intervention outside of patient care may not be acceptable. Future research may evaluate the integration of routine caregiver screening within patient care to promote engagement with mental health services. This research offers a unique method of assessing cancer caregivers' distress.

Effectiveness of family interventions for patients with schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The family is the primary caregiver for most patients with schizophrenia, and their roles are essential in patients' illness trajectories and outcomes. Due to this, various family interventions for schizophrenia have been developed and applied to the relatives who take care of their family members with schizophrenia. This study examined the effectiveness of existing family interventions for schizophrenia in achieving their target outcomes at both the family and patient levels by utilizing a systematic review and meta-analysis. Combinations of terms were used to search for relevant studies from the databases. Thirty-seven randomized controlled trials that met the inclusion criteria were included in the analysis. Based on the pooled result of the included studies, the programmes significantly improved the targeted outcomes with large effect size. The programmes' impacts on family-related outcomes were higher than those on patients. Among the targeted outcomes, patients' treatment satisfaction and adherence and family caregivers' mental health were the most remarkable outcomes that had improved from the included programmes. Conversely, outcomes related to family relationships, caregiving experiences, perceived social support of family caregivers, and patients' medication use did not see significant improvements. The programmes delivered to individual family units and only to the family caregivers were more effective than those delivered to groups of caregivers and caregivers and patients together, respectively. Programme-focused interventions were more effective than emotion-focused ones. Based on these findings, an in-home visiting nurse programme or advanced technology is suggested when applying family interventions for schizophrenia in practice.

Research trends over 10 years (2010-2021) in infant and toddler rearing behavior by family caregivers in South Korea: text network and topic modeling.

This study analyzed research trends in infant and toddler rearing behavior among family caregivers over a 10-year period (2010-2021). Text network analysis and topic modeling were employed on data collected from relevant papers, following the extraction and refinement of semantic morphemes. A semantic-centered network was constructed by extracting words from 2,613 English-language abstracts. Data analysis was performed using NetMiner 4.5.0. Frequency analysis, degree centrality, and eigenvector centrality all revealed the terms ''scale," ''program," and ''education" among the top 10 keywords associated with infant and toddler rearing behaviors among family caregivers. The keywords extracted from the analysis were divided into two clusters through cohesion analysis. Additionally, they were classified into two topic groups using topic modeling: "program and evaluation" (64.37%) and "caregivers' role and competency in child development" (35.63%). The roles and competencies of family caregivers are essential for the development of infants and toddlers. Intervention programs and evaluations are necessary to improve rearing behaviors. Future research should determine the role of nurses in supporting family caregivers. Additionally, it should facilitate the development of nursing strategies and intervention programs to promote positive rearing practices.

Investigating the experiences of family caregivers who shackle people with mental disorders.

The mental health literacy gap has resulted in the shackling of people with mental illness by family caregivers. Although shackling violates human rights and impacts physical and psychological health, it still occurs in some countries, such as Indonesia. An in-depth study using the family function approach is needed to distinguish the components behind the application of shackling by families to find solutions to prevent shackling. Thus, this study aims to identify family functions in people with mental disorder (PWMD) care and to create a family care model for PWMD in accordance with the family function approach and recommendations for preventing shackling. This qualitative research used a phenomenological approach, involving eight participants who are family caregivers and live with their patients. Triangulation was conducted by applying interviews with four health cadres to confirm previous information. The process of in-depth interviews and observational data collection methods was carried out until reaching data saturation. The data analysis process used Collaizi's pattern to formulate three main themes, namely confinement as the final solution for the family, the specifics of confinement, and the family's purpose for confinement. The conclusion is that shackling occurs due to a lack of understanding of the impact of shackling and the various limitations experienced, so shackling becomes the last resort when dealing with patients. Peer support is very important for families to prevent the confinement of mentally ill family members. Technological advances are an inherent need in everyday life and must support family caregivers with mental disorders.

Nursing Protocol: Supporting Family Caregivers

Nursing Protocol: Supporting Family Caregivers

“Standing alone”: understanding the self-management of family caregivers of persons post-stroke at the time of acute care

Purpose To support family caregivers of persons post-stroke adequately from the start and to develop self-management interventions, we aim to gain a better understanding of family caregivers experiences at the time of acute care and therefore achieve a better understanding of how they manage their new situation. Methods and Materials We chose a qualitative descriptive methodology using individual semi-structured interviews with eleven family caregivers of persons post-stroke. We conducted interviews retrospectively, between 2 and 10 months post-stroke, and analysed transcripts using thematic analysis. Results The themes (1) being in survival mode, (2) feeling supported by family and friends, (3) feeling left alone by the treatment team and (4) insisting on information emerged from the data. Conclusion During acute care, many self-management skills are required from family caregivers but are just starting to be developed. This development can first be observed as co-management with the social network and is often combined with shared decision-making. Information-sharing, foundational for developing self-management, is essential for family caregivers and should be supported proactively by health professionals from the beginning. Further, from the start, health professionals should raise awareness about role changes and imbalances of activities among family caregivers to prevent negative influences on their health.

Evaluating the role of social media in providing support for family caregivers of individuals with spinal cord injury.

Quantitative study. The study aimed to explore Family Caregivers of Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (FC-SCI) social media use patterns, most frequently used platforms, importance of social media for receiving and providing support, and type of social support (i.e., social companionship, emotional support, informational support) that FC-SCI receive or provide online. FC-SCI participants from Canada and USA. FC-SCI responded to measures regarding the social media platforms they use to access support, the importance of each platform, and the types of online social support they access through social media. Sample consisted of 115 FC-SCI. Most caregivers were a partner or spouse of the individual with SCI (n = 110) and female (n = 111). Majority of FC-SCI spent 1-3 h daily on social media (n = 74), and Facebook was used predominantly (n = 108), followed by Instagram (n = 92), and YouTube (n = 66). For receiving or providing support, Facebook was ranked most important (60%), followed by Instagram (26%) and YouTube (17%). The mean differences and standard deviation were found for the types of social support: emotional support (25.93 ± 7.60), social companionship (23.85 ± 7.46), and informational support (27.24 ± 7.50). Using social media for informational support is desired by FC-SCI as it is easily accessible, and time-efficient. The prevalent use of social media for support by FC-SCI demonstrates that social media is a valued platform for support. The support benefits for the mental and physical health of caregivers should be further evaluated.

Social Support on Family Caregivers of Alzheimer Patients: A Systematic Review

Background and Purpose: Family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer face many challenges when caring for them. The patients need not only the care of health professionals but also social support. Therefore, this study aimed to summarize the existing studies on social support for family caregivers of Alzheimer patients in a systematic review. Materials and Methods: In this review, the search was done in domestic (Magiran, SID) and foreign (Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, PubMed) databases as well as Google Scholar from 1990 to August 2021, according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews) statement. The Cochrane and STROBE checklists were used to evaluate the quality of the articles. Results: Out of 709 articles on social support in family caregivers of Alzheimer patients, 7 entered the final list. The number of family caregivers participating in these studies ranged from 81 to 648. The mean age of caregivers in all studies was over 50 years. The studies emphasized the importance of improving social support in family caregivers of Alzheimer patients. Most study studies were conducted in America, which included all the interventional studies in this systematic review. In most studies, social support’s role in reducing family caregivers’ problems and promoting their satisfaction was important. Conclusion: Creating social networks and encouraging the use of these supports will be very helpful in reducing the problems of family caregivers of Alzheimer patients. More attention to health literacy is likely useful as a revelation of the need for social support in family caregivers of Alzheimer patients and the government.

Growing old in China in socioeconomic and epidemiological context: systematic review of social care policy for older people

BackgroundFrom 2020 to 2050, China’s population aged ≥65 years old is estimated to more than double from 172 million (12·0%) to 366 million (26·0%). Some 10 million have Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, to approach 40 million by 2050. Critically, the population is ageing fast while China is still a middle-income country.MethodsUsing official and population-level statistics, we summarise China’s demographic and epidemiological trends relevant to ageing and health from 1970 to present, before examining key determinants of China’s improving population health in a socioecological framework. We then explore how China is responding to the care needs of its older population by carrying out a systematic review to answer the question: ‘what are the key policy challenges to China achieving an equitable nationwide long-term care system for older people?’. Databases were screened for records published between 1st June 2020 and 1st June 2022 in Mandarin Chinese or English, reflecting our focus on evidence published since introduction of China’s second long-term care insurance pilot phase in 2020.ResultsRapid economic development and improved access to education has led to widescale internal migration. Changing fertility policies and household structures also pose considerable challenges to the traditional family care model. To deal with increasing need, China has piloted 49 alternative long-term care insurance systems. Our findings from 42 studies (n = 16 in Mandarin) highlight significant challenges in the provision of quality and quantity of care which suits the preference of users, varying eligibility for long-term care insurance and an inequitable distribution of cost burden. Key recommendations include increasing salaries to attract and retain staff, introduction of mandatory financial contributions from employees and a unified standard of disability with regular assessment. Strengthening support for family caregivers and improving smart old age care capacity can also support preferences to age at home.ConclusionsChina has yet to establish a sustainable funding mechanism, standardised eligibility criteria and a high-quality service delivery system. Its long-term care insurance pilot studies provide useful lessons for other middle-income countries facing similar challenges in terms of meeting the long-term care needs of their rapidly growing older populations.

Thinking Ahead - Supporting family caregivers of nursing home residents with dementia in advance care planning

Thinking Ahead - Supporting family caregivers of nursing home residents with dementia in advance care planning

Psychosocial experiences of caring by family caregivers of patients living with prostate cancer in a teaching hospital: A descriptive phenomenological study.

This study explored the psychosocial experience of caregiving on the family caregiver of patients with prostate cancer in the Cape Coast metropolis of Ghana. A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted through in-depth face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Twelve family caregivers of prostate cancer patients were selected through purposive sampling. Interviews were conducted until data saturation. All interviews were taped, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. The family caregiver's psychosocial experience associated with caregiving uncovered two significant themes with 13 sub-themes. 'Psychological impact' emerged as the first central theme, with anxiety, care as an obligation and feelings of inadequacy, hopelessness, uncertainty, denial and concealment as the sub-themes. The second central theme was 'Social impact' with sexual concerns, role adjustment, loss of livelihood, turmoil and reduced leisure activities emerging as sub-themes. The findings demonstrated that caring significantly impacts the psychological and social well-being of the caregivers of prostate cancer patients. Therefore, there is a need for holistic assessment to include the psychosocial well-being of family caregivers to improve quality of life. Therefore, psychiatric nurses support family caregivers through education and psychosocial interventions to improve their quality of life and enable them to care for their loved ones more effectively.

Supporting the Health and Well-Being of Caregivers of Persons with Pain.

This article is part of a series, Supporting Family Caregivers: No Longer Home Alone, published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute. Results of focus groups, conducted as part of the AARP Public Policy Institute's No Longer Home Alone video project, supported evidence that family caregivers aren't given the information they need to manage the complex care regimens of family members. This series of articles and accompanying videos aims to help nurses provide caregivers with the tools they need to manage their family member's health care at home. This new group of articles provides practical information nurses can share with family caregivers of persons living with pain. To use this series, nurses should read the articles first, so they understand how best to help family caregivers. Then they can refer caregivers to the informational tear sheet-Information for Family Caregivers-and instructional videos, encouraging them to ask questions. For additional information, see Resources for Nurses.

A national program to advance dementia research in Vietnam

AbstractBackgroundAs Vietnam and other low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMIC) experience a rapid increase in people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), an acute need exists to strengthen research capacity to inform policy, improve care and supports, and develop of national dementia plans. We describe the development and early outcomes of an NIH/NIA‐funded national ADRD research capacity building program in Vietnam.MethodThe research capacity building program has three components: a mentored pilot grant program, research training and networking activities, and dissemination. The pilot grant program funds Vietnamese researchers for 1‐2 years to conduct research focused on ADRD research broadly defined. Each funded investigator is paired with an international expert who serves as a mentor. Grants are reviewed and scored using NIH criteria and priority is given to pilot grants with policy relevance and potential for future funding. Training and networking activities include workshops on ADRD research topics and regular meetings in conjunction with Vietnam’s annual national dementia conference. Dissemination is facilitated through targeted outreach and the creation of a national network of institutions.ResultOver the first three years (2019‐2022) of this five year program, we reviewed 46 applications and selected 17 for funding (4‐6 per year). Funded investigators were from diverse disciplines (e.g., geriatrics, neurology, neuropsychology, nursing, pharmacy, social work) and institutions across Vietnam with projects on a range of topics, including biomarkers, prevention, diagnosis, neuropsychological assessment, family caregiver support, dementia education, and clinical trials. An international pool of high‐income country (e.g., United States, Australia, United Kingdom) mentors has been engaged and mentors paired with each funded project. Research training has included 2 workshops at national conferences and 3 webinars that have features international speakers. A network of 11 leading academic and research institutions nationwide (i.e., Northern, Central, and Southern Vietnam) has been created to facilitate dissemination. The program has adapted to meet the challenges of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Additional process and outcome assessments of the program are planned.ConclusionThis research capacity building program is the first of its kind in Vietnam and may serve as a useful model for other LMIC.

Association between perceived social support and physical activity level of alzheimer family caregivers

AbstractBackgroundFamily caregiving in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) has been associated with a variety of negative psychological and social processes, including social isolation. Besides, it has been shown that the caregiver’s physical activity level is one of the factors associated with the burden of care. The negative impact of physical inactivity on general health status is well established. This study aimed was investigate relationship between social support and caregiver’s physical acitivity level.MethodsParticipants’ working‐caregiving status and functional independency of their patients was recorded. Physical activity level was assessed with Rapid Physical Activity Assessment (RAPA). Percieved Social Support Questionnary (PSSQ) was used for evaluating of social support. Statistical analysis was performed by Spearman correlation analysis in SPSS 22.0 package program.ResultsAmong the 59 participants 88.4% were female and mean age was 54.83±11.9 years. Caregiver’s demographics presented in Table 1. There was a significant correlation was found between RAPA and PPSQ (p = .015, rho = .321). According to RAPA results, 6.7% respondents were reported have no physical activity, 66.7% were underactive, and 13% were active.ConclusionsOur study was demonstrated that most of the caregivers were physically underactive. Supportive social environment was found related with caregivers physical activity level. It is necessary to be aware of the potential health risks not only for people with AD but also for caregivers. Caregivers should be encouraged to be physically active considering the positive effects on physical and mental health. Policy makers should develop strategies that support caregivers, taking into account all the components that are affect them physically, socially and psychologically.