The Nature of Elder Impairment and its Impact on Family Caregivers' Health and Psychosocial Functioning

No differences were revealed among caregivers of cognitively impaired, functionally impaired, and nonimpaired elderly relatives in terms of self-reported health or psychosocial functioning, and other aspects of the caregiving context, such as familial generation, gender, and living arrangement, may affect caregiver health and psychossocial functioning more than the nature of the elder's impairment.

Abstract

This study assessed the nature of elder impairment and its impact on the health and psychosocial functioning of family caregivers. All caregivers were daughters or daughters-in-law living with an elderly parent. Contrary to expectations and previous research, no differences were revealed among caregivers of cognitively impaired, functionally impaired, and nonimpaired elderly relatives in terms of self-reported health or psychosocial functioning. Thus, other aspects of the caregiving context, such as familial generation, gender, and living arrangement, may affect caregiver health and psychosocial functioning more than the nature of the elder's impairment.