Selected Caregiver Assessment Measures A Resource Inventory for Practitioners Brief: Families provide the majority of care and support for the millions of adults in need of assistance. Likewise, the number of family caregivers is steadily increasing with many family caregivers having multiple, varied, and serious unmet financial, physical, emotional, and social needs. In order to continue providing care, family caregivers need assistance and support so that their physical and mental health needs are met rather than compromised. A systematic and well-designed assessment can help identify a caregiver's needs and strengths and, in turn, contribute to a plan of care that ensures the well-being of both the caregiver and care recipient. As health care continues to move into home setting, it is important to assess not only the knowledge, skills and capacity of the caregiver to provide care but also to address caregiver well-being and health in order to prevent more serious health problems for families in the long-term. Read more
Prevalence and predictors of depression, care-related strain, and unmet needs among caregivers of patients with dementia Read more
The Experience of Long-Term Care Organizations in Seven States with Older Workers, Volunteers and Participants from the Senior Community Service and E Read more
Partners in Dementia Care A Care Coordination Intervention for Individuals with Dementia and their Family Caregivers Purpose: This article provides a detailed description of a telephone-based care coordination intervention, Partners in Dementia Care (PDC), for veterans with dementia and their family caregivers. Essential features of PDC included (a) formal partnerships between Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and Alzheimer’s Association Chapters; (b) a multidimensional assessment and treatment approach, (c) ongoing monitoring and long-term relationships with families, and (d) a computerized information system to guide service delivery and fidelity monitoring. Read more
Inclusion of Caregiver Supports and Services in Home- and Community-Based Service Programs Recent Reports from State Units on Aging Caregivers have an important role in assisting frail and/or disabled individuals to maintain their independence in the community. Support to assist caregivers in this often stressful and demanding role is critical to sustaining the caregivers’ health and ability to provide care. This paper reviews federal policy changes since 2000 that have expanded and enhanced services for informal caregivers. Next, data collected from State Units on Aging and other state agencies are presented to describe the extent to which caregiver services are included in home- and community- based programs under three funding streams (Medicaid waivers, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services–funded programs, and state-funded programs). Program characteristics, such as eligibility and consumer-directed options, are included. Finally, the accomplishments and initiatives reported by state respondents related to supporting informal caregivers are also explained. Results indicate that services for informal caregivers are receiving greater attention and are frequently offered under home- and community-based service programs by the states that participated in this study. Read more
Building Resilience Mild Cognitive Impairment and Early-Stage Dementia Innovative Approaches to Intervention and Outcome Evaluation Read more
Applying a Strength-Based Intervetion for Dyads with Mild to Moderate Memory Loss Two Case Examples Managing and coping with the symptoms of dementia and memory loss is associated with negative psychosocial outcomes for both persons with dementia and their family caregivers. Research has indicated beneficial results in using dementia-management interventions to impact positively on mental health outcomes for caregivers and address cognitive and functional issues for persons with dementia. However, most intervention programmes to date have primarily worked with each care partner separately, rather than implementing a single intervention protocol that targets both members of the caregiving dyad. This article provides a description of a newly designed intervention that includes both care partners. Using a Strength-Based Approach, the dyadic intervention identifies and builds upon both care partners’ current abilities to address their specific care needs. Two case examples are presented to illustrate the flexibility and advantages of using a Strength-Based Approach. The discussion highlights the extent to which core intervention skills can be tailored to fit a range of care needs. Read more
