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Respite for Dementia Caregivers: The Effects of Adult Day Service Use on Caregiving Hours and Care Demands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2005

Joseph E. Gaugler
Affiliation:
Program in Gerontology/Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, US
Shannon E. Jarrott
Affiliation:
Department of Human Development, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, US
Steven H. Zarit
Affiliation:
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, US
Mary-Ann Parris Stephens
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, US
Aloen Townsend
Affiliation:
Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, US
Rick Greene
Affiliation:
New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Trenton, New Jersey, US

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine whether adult day service use was related to decreases in primary caregiving hours (i.e., the time caregivers spent on activities of daily living/instrumental activities of daily living and behavior problems for care recipients) and care recipient function for these domains. Three-month longitudinal data from the Adult Day Care Collaborative Study (N = 400) were used. Adult day service users reported greater decreases in hours spent on behavior problems when compared to nonusers, even after controlling for baseline differences between the two groups. In addition, adult day service users reported decreased frequency of behavior problems in their relatives who attended adult day programs. The findings suggest that adult day services, if used over time, are effective in restructuring caregiving time and may offer potential benefits not only to family caregivers but to community-residing older adults who have dementia as well.

Type
Articles
Copyright
© 2003 International Psychogeriatric Association

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