Groups; *Stress Variables

RecogAition of the importance of famil'es in providing care to older persons has led to advocacy for a variety of supports to assist them. This study was conducted to describe caregivers ' perceptions of the helpfulness of cash assistance and to identify factors associated with perceived helpfulness. Subjects were co-resident caregivers (N=155) whose disabled family member was a non-institutionalized veteran aged 65 or over who was a beneficiary of the Veterans ' Administration Aid & Attendance program. Caregivers completed descriptive items regarding the veteran's disability and activities of daily living limitations, amount of care provided, and type of formal and informal supports, and a questionnaire consisting of five measurement scales assessing emotional strain, financial strain, future outlook, perceived helpfulness, and program knowledge. The results indicated that most of the 155 caregivers found cash assistance to be helpful in supporting the veterans ' care at home. Caregivers who reported lower financial and emotional strain were more likely to find cash assistance helpful. Those who received a higher benefit and who spent it on health-supportive items as opposed to everyday necessities were also more likely to rate the benefit as helpful. The more helpful cash assistance was perceived to be, the less restricted caregivers ' future outlook, the better their subjective mental /.ealth, and the greater their confidence in their ability to continue providing care at home. (Author/NB