Families filling the gap: Comparing family involvement for assisted living and nursing home residents with dementia. The Gerontologist, 45(Special Issue I

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the sociodemographics, self-rated health, and in-volvement levels of family caregivers of residents with dementia in residential care/assisted living (RC/ AL) versus nursing home settings. Design and Methods: We conducted telephone interviews with the family caregivers most involved with 353 residents of 34 residential care and 10 nursing home facilities. We measured involvement by caregiver self-report of monthly out-of-pocket spending, involvement and burden ratings, and the frequency of engaging in eight specific care activities. Open-ended questions elicited areas in which caregivers preferred different involvement and ways the facility could facilitate involvement. Results: Nursing home caregivers rat-ed their health poorer than RC/AL caregivers, but there were no sociodemographic differences between the two. RC/AL caregivers rated both their perception of involvement and burden higher and engaged more frequently in monitoring the resident’s health, well-being, and finances than did nursing home care-givers, although the reported time spent per week on care did not differ. Implications: RC/AL and nursing home caregivers to residents with dementia may tailor their care to fit the needs of the resident and setting. Results are discussed in relation to the Congruenc