New directions for family caregiver interventions

2018-11-09There are approximately 18 million family caregivers in the U.S. They are the family members and friends who assist older adults with an illness or disability, and often make it possible for the people they support to remain living in the community. When they begin this role, caregivers are often underprepared its many demands, and are faced with a range of challenges, including: difficulty accessing services and information, trouble juggling employment and caregiving, and declines in mental and physical health. There are now hundreds of evidence-based interventions to support family caregivers in this role and prevent negative consequences that can result from caring for an aging family member. However, despite decades of research to develop and evaluate evidence-based interventions, existing programs remain inadequately tailored to the needs of caregivers and few caregivers ever access programs. This dissertation explores promising intervention approaches—including mode of service delivery, targeted outcomes, and timing of program administration—that can increase the value of and access to interventions that can alleviate some of the challenges experienced by family members taking on a caregiving role