The purpose of this has been to develop and test the psychometric properties of instruments to measure the following aspects of the experience of family caregivers: caregiver involvement in providing care, reactions to caregiving (burdens, financial consequences, effects on employment, physical and mental health and social functioning); and use of health services. In this competing continuation grant, we propose to use these instruments to follow the initial sample of Alzheimer's caregivers (n = 250) at 12 and 24 months after entry into the study to examine how changes in caregiver reactions, involvement in providing care and use of health services over time relate to the changing behavioral symptoms of the Alzheimer's patient and the outcomes of caregiving. Further, we plan to examine caregivers' perceptions of the availability of, need for and barriers to use of community services in order to understand the conditions under which community services are needed and used. We will also administer instruments to caregivers whose patient dies or is institutionalized following entry into the study to determine the effect of these events on caregiver physical, emotional and social well-being. This longitudinal data will provide vital information for the long-term planning of community services for Alzheimer's patients and their families, and, when incorporated with data obtained using similar instruments administered to caregivers of physically impaired and cancer patients, will provide major insights into the roles, reactions, and expenditures of facilities who care for patients in the home.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH041766-05
Application #
3380529
Study Section
Life Course and Prevention Research Review Committee (LCR)
Project Start
1987-02-01
Project End
1993-01-31
Budget Start
1991-02-01
Budget End
1993-01-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
1991
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Michigan State University
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
193247145
City
East Lansing
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48824
Pohl, J M; Given, C W; Collins, C E et al. (1994) Social vulnerability and reactions to caregiving in daughters and daughters-in-law caring for disabled aging parents. Health Care Women Int 15:385-95
Stommel, M; Collins, C E; Given, B A (1994) The costs of family contributions to the care of persons with dementia. Gerontologist 34:199-205
Collins, C; King, S; Kokinakis, C (1994) Community service issues before nursing home placement of persons with dementia. West J Nurs Res 16:40-52;discussion 52-6
Collins, C; Ogle, K (1994) Patterns of predeath service use by dementia patients with a family caregiver. J Am Geriatr Soc 42:719-22
Collins, C; Stommel, M; Wang, S et al. (1994) Caregiving transitions: changes in depression among family caregivers of relatives with dementia. Nurs Res 43:220-5
Liken, M A; Collins, C E (1993) Grieving: facilitating the process for dementia caregivers. J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv 31:21-6
Collins, C (1992) ""I don't need help!"" What do dementia caregivers really mean? Home Healthc Nurse 10:53-6
Given, C W; Given, B; Stommel, M et al. (1992) The caregiver reaction assessment (CRA) for caregivers to persons with chronic physical and mental impairments. Res Nurs Health 15:271-83
Stommel, M; Wang, S; Given, C W et al. (1992) Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) as a method to assess measurement equivalence. Res Nurs Health 15:399-405
Collins, C; Stommel, M; King, S et al. (1991) Assessment of the attitudes of family caregivers toward community services. Gerontologist 31:756-61

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