OBJECTIVES: This study examined the characteristics, activities, and challenges of high-risk informal caregivers. METHODS: Telephone interviews were conducted with a nationally representative cross-section of 1002 informal caregivers. Vulnerable caregivers with poor health or a serious health condition were compared with nonvulnerable caregivers. RESULTS: Thirty-six percent of caregivers were vulnerable. Compared with nonvulnerable caregivers, vulnerable caregivers were more likely to have difficulty providing care, to provide higher-intensity care, to report that their physical health had suffered since becoming a caregiver, to be aged 65 years or older, to be married, and to have less than 12 years of education. CONCLUSIONS: Reliance on informal caregivers without considering the caregiver's ability to provide care can create a stressful and potentially unsafe environment for the caregiver and the care recipient.
OBJECTIVES: This study examined the characteristics, activities, and challenges of high-risk informal caregivers. METHODS: Telephone interviews were conducted with a nationally representative cross-section of 1002 informal caregivers. Vulnerable caregivers with poor health or a serious health condition were compared with nonvulnerable caregivers. RESULTS: Thirty-six percent of caregivers were vulnerable. Compared with nonvulnerable caregivers, vulnerable caregivers were more likely to have difficulty providing care, to provide higher-intensity care, to report that their physical health had suffered since becoming a caregiver, to be aged 65 years or older, to be married, and to have less than 12 years of education. CONCLUSIONS: Reliance on informal caregivers without considering the caregiver's ability to provide care can create a stressful and potentially unsafe environment for the caregiver and the care recipient.
Authors: Lisa Fredman; Jane A Cauley; Suzanne Satterfield; Eleanor Simonsick; S Melinda Spencer; Hilsa N Ayonayon; Tamara B Harris Journal: Arch Intern Med Date: 2008-10-27