The purpose of the proposed research project is to: 1) Describe the expressed preferences of Hispanic caregivers in South Florida for services that would help them better care for older adults with Alzheimer?s Disease and related dementias (ADRD); and 2) Examine the cultural congruence of available supports with the expectations of Hispanic ADRD caregivers through the comparison of themes emerging from interviews with providers and caregivers. Older Hispanics are one of the fastest growing demographic groups in the country, representing an estimated 20% of all persons 65 and over by 2050. Hispanics appear to have higher rates of Alzheimer?s and other dementias when compared to White Americans and African Americans, particularly in older age groups. Nearly 70% of the older adult population in Miami-Dade County, Florida is Hispanic, and this population is growing, especially among the 80+ age group. As this population of older Hispanics with Alzheimer?s disease and related dementias (ADRD) grows, so will their caregiving needs. Living longer and physically healthier with Alzheimer?s will increase the need for family caregivers and the home and community- based services that support them. Deleterious effects have been associated with caregiving, including emotional burden, economic and social impact, higher risk for depression, psychotropic medication use, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, increases of health care services utilization, and mortality. We know in general that Hispanics provide more intensive caregiving, more hours, and more assistance with Activities of Daily Living. However, they also appear to relate to the stresses of caregiving differently, and underutilize services, such as support groups. Local utilization data from the area agency on aging show an underutilization of training and support services as currently provided. Despite an ethnically congruent local workforce, there may still be values held by Hispanic caregivers that differ from those of the service providers. This difference could impact the way services are delivered and received and result in critical limitations to the services currently available. If we are expecting an increase of Hispanic older adults being cared for by family, then closer attention needs to be paid to the potential limitations of current services in order provide services that will appropriately support Hispanic caregivers. The proposed research seeks to shift current practice by providing in-depth understanding of the potential differences between Hispanic ADRD caregivers perception of need and service providers understanding of these needs through ethnographic research and narrative analysis of data collected through in-depth interviews and participant observation. This research will be carried out in collaboration with the local area agency on aging with the goal of informing direct services to caregivers. The ultimate goal is to design and evaluate culturally appropriate Hispanic caregiver support services in the future.
Older Hispanics are of the fastest growing demographic groups in the country and have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer?s disease and related dementias. Hispanic family caregivers provide more intensive care and are at risk of adverse health outcomes from the stressors of caregiving, but utilize fewer formal support services. This project will investigate potential causes of the underutilization of services by examining the expressed preferences of Hispanic caregivers and comparing it to the services being provided in collaboration with the local area agency on aging.
