Despite the large body of literature on the impact of caregiving, there has been a dearth of studies on the differential impact of stressors and social supports on caregiver outcomes by race. Studies examining racial differences of Black and White caregivers are rare. It is not known if Black caregivers experience similar alterations in psychosocial and physical health functioning observed in White caregivers. The proposed study will examine the influence of race on caregiver outcomes. Objections are: 1) to identify the racial differences in caregiving stressors, supports, and outcomes among the caregivers of frail elders, and 2) to examine if caregiver outcomes are differentially predicted by stressors and social supports by race. The research premise is that sources of stress (e.g., disabilities of elders) and social supports (e.g., formal-adult day care and informal-family and church) may differentially predict adaptational outcomes (e.g., burden and health) experienced by caregivers. Data was obtained from a study drawn by the Elderly Support Project at the University of Chicago, 1986-87. The non-random sample recruited from enrollees in 11 adult day care centers in Chicago included 115 caregivers and frail elders: 53% (N=61) Black and 47% (N=54) White; 70% female and 30% males. Method of data collection was a in-person structured interview with the caregiver and frail elder. Findings from the study can provide: a greater understanding of the impact of stressors and social supports on the health status and burden experienced by Black caregivers; a foundation to develop a cross-sectional survey design with a control group of non- adult day care users; and the basis for designing more appropriate service delivery models for potentially disadvantaged populations. Finally, this study will make a major contribution to the sparse literature which describes how Black caregivers, frail elders, and their families experience caregiving.
