<p> Unpaid family caregivers of people with dementia are faced with a variety of physical, emotional and social stressors. A systematic review of the literature was compiled to summarize existing evidence regarding subjective burden, expressed emotion and psychological distress related to this category of caregiving and to build a multinational representation of these individuals that will facilitate in identifying areas of supportive intervention. A synthesis of 44 data sets that included 5,249 participants from 20 countries indicated that the majority of caregivers are experiencing depression and high levels of distress related to their caregiving role, and that a small number of caregivers are relying on coping strategies that may add to their distress. Results suggest an ongoing need for medical and psychology practitioners to be aware of appropriate supportive and mental health interventions to improve the quality of life for people with dementia and their family caregivers.</p>

<p> Informal caregiving has been a widely-studied topic recently because many people with chronic and terminal illnesses are being cared for by family and friends in their homes. However, little research has focused on informal caregivers for those with one condition, frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The purpose of this study was to understand how the changed behavior of someone with FTD affects persons caring for those with this type of dementia, with a specific focus on the stress level of informal caregivers. Eleven caregivers participated in this study, with an age range of 42 to 81 years. </p><p> Caregivers whose care recipients are institutionalized reported a higher stress level during time of diagnosis, than that of caregivers who cared for their family member at home. Qualitative responses indicated that a lack of knowledge about FTD can result in a misdiagnosis, leaving caregivers more stressed because the care recipients&rsquo; behavior is left untreated. </p><p>

<p> The population structure of the United States is changing; the older age group is increasing in size relative to the younger generation. The trend is expected to continue, especially starting in 2020, when the baby boomer population&mdash;estimated at 80 million&mdash;will be reaching their 65^th birthday, a time associated with increasing health complications, including depression and dementia. The study employed a holistic paradigm as the conceptual framework to examine the association between depression and dementia in older adults, and generated a grounded theory to illuminate the relationship between depression and dementia. This theory was then used to assess the efficacy of stimulation, a nurturing environment, and treatment provided by an adult day health care (ADHC) in ameliorating the symptoms and progression of both dementia and depression. The sample consisted of 60 clients from a California ADHC center who were diagnosed with depression and dementia and who had received at least 6 months of services at the center. Paired <i> t</i> tests tested the validity of the hypotheses on depression among older adults and its correlation with their cognitive abilities. The results of paired <i>t</i> tests indicated a significant reduction in the client's level of depression between the time of their admission and the time of their reassessment 6 months later. This study can provide data for the larger social change discussion as to what resources should be allocated to meet the quickly escalating health, economic, and humanitarian pressures of the baby boom cohort.</p>

<p> An exploratory study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of a group gratitude intervention with 29 permanent residents at a long term care/ skilled nursing facility in improving elder mood, behavior, and well- being over a 3 week time period. The sample included individuals diagnosed with dementia, other cognitive impairment, major depressive disorder, insomnia, and generalized anxiety disorder. The gratitude intervention consisted of asking elders to share what they are thankful for at the dinner table each day. Measures included the Elder Well Being Scale and The Dinner Rating Scale. On both measures, higher scores indicated better functioning. To test the hypothesis that post treatment elder well-being will be significantly higher than pretreatment elder well-being ratings, a one-way ANOVA was conducted. Post-hoc tests revealed a statistically significant increase in Elder Well Being Scale scores. An ANOVA of comparing Dinner Ratings demonstrated a nonsignificant increase over the 3 week experiment. Implications are discussed.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 1995. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-10, Section: B, page: 5768. Chair: Dolores Gallagher-Thompson.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 2002. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 62-12, Section: B, page: 5962. Chair: Nigel Field.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-07, Section: B, page: 4870. Adviser: Arthur F. Kramer. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 58-62) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

<p> As the aging population continues to increase, the move to assisted living facilities (ALFs) is becoming a popular choice as an alternative to remaining at home. The majority of older adults entering assisted living facilities have one of more chronic conditions that prevent them from performing their activities of daily living, thereby requiring assistance from direct care workers (DCWs). These DCWs are unregulated, and their training varies from state to state and from ALF&rsquo;s. Hence, there could be an apparent shortfall in the care provided to residents in ALFs by DCWs. Stake&rsquo;s case study methodology was used to answer the research question about the issues that family members experience with the care provided by DCWs for a relative in assisted living facilities. A gap was identified in the literature that signals the need to have the input of the family members on how care is given in ALFs. Open-ended interview questions were used to capture the issues family members saw with the care their loved ones receive. Data analysis took the form of direct interpretation, categorical aggregation, finding patterns, identifying themes within case, and establishing linkages between cases. The final phase of the data analysis was the interpretive phase where conclusion was drawn. Five main themes emerged after analysis of the data. They were: training for DCWs, satisfaction with care, cultural competencies, expectation of care, and need for improvement. The findings suggest that there are several issues family members have with the care provided in ALFs. These finding could then be used to devise training for the DCWs that are geared to provide adequate care to the residents in ALFs. The implications from the study suggest that more training should be implemented and based on humanistic theory resulting in individualized care with the person focus approach. Well trained direct care workers in assisted living facilities will enhance the quality of life for older adults and preserve the integrity of the assisted living industry. </p><p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 2004. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 65-05, Section: B, page: 2613. Adviser: Larry W. Thompson.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 2005. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 65-12, Section: B, page: 6657. Adviser: Larry W. Thompson.