Dementia has become to be named the ‘relative’s illness’ as a result of the physical and psychological effects that the relatives experience, due to the fact that the patient goes through many changes within the course of the disease. In addition, individuals suffering from dementia receive more help from their relatives compared to individuals suffering from other diseases or disabilities. Therefore, it is important to address to relative’s individual needs connecting to the caregiving role. The aim of this qualitative study was to examine how relatives to individuals suffering from dementia are affected by the role of caregiving. We conducted a thematic text analysis of our empirical material consisting of three autobiographies, written by relatives of those suffering from dementia. By reading the material and categorising the topics the authors wrote about, three main themes were identified: Relatives as caregivers, Health effects of caregiving and Emotional strain.  The results showed that the author’s experienced several different aspects of how they were affected as caregivers. For instance, all three author’s described how their role with their loved one changed. Another result shown was that the author’s experienced how their health deteriorated, both physically and psychologically, and it was repeatedly described how they felt lonely and forgotten. The authors also described how the caregiving role resulted in positive experiences such as personal development. Strongly prominent was the author’s experiences of how the dementia caused strong feelings of grief. In conclusion the findings highlight how important it is to shed light on the relative’s role and their wellbeing.

Objective This study explores how caregiver relationship quality with family, patient, and patient's health care provider (HCP) is associated with subjective caregiver burden during the early treatment phase for late-stage cancer. Method Burden and relationship quality were assessed in telephone interviews with family caregivers (FCGs) of advanced cancer patients. The five subscales of the Caregiver Reaction Assessment measured burden, while relationships were measured with the Family Relationship Index, the Family Inventory of Needs subscale of met needs, and a scale assessing family discord in cancer communication. Results Multiple linear regression analyses in SPSS (v16) of 420 FCGs showed that higher quality relationship with family was associated with lower burden in FCG abandonment, health, scheduling (p<0.001) and finances (p<0.01). Higher quality relationship with patients' HCPs was associated with lower burden in FCG abandonment (p< 0.05), health, and finances (p<0.001). More discordant communication in patient relationship was associated with lower financial burden (p<0.05). Relationship quality was not associated with caregiver self-esteem. Conclusions Findings demonstrate that caregiver relationship quality with family and with HCP are important factors in understanding caregiver burden during the early treatment phase of late-stage cancer care.

With increased life expectancy, more individuals will need to rely on caregivers and/or caregiving services. Filipino Americans are reluctant to depend on outside help when it comes to caring for their family members. There was a gap in the literature concerning the specific impact of the caregiving role on Filipino Americans and how cultural values affect the care provided to their family members. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain understanding of how Filipino cultural values and life roles affected Filipino Americans' experiences of caregiving. The conceptual framework included the sociocultural stress and coping model. The central research question for the study was used to explore the personal impact of caregiving for Filipino Americans and the sociocultural factors affecting this role. A phenomenological research design guided the data collection and analysis process. Individual, semistructured interviews were conducted with 8 participants, recruited from several Catholic Church groups and Filipino community groups located in the Southwestern region of Houston, Texas. Data were analyzed using Moustakas' steps for phenomenological data analysis and 7 themes were identified: responsibility of caregiving, impact of caregiving on employment status, impact and importance of religion to caregivers, impact of Filipino heritage on caregivers, impact of care recipient's illness on the caregiver and recipient, resources for caregivers, and reflections on the caregiver experience. Filipino Americans are unique in their practices to provide care for their family members rather than relying on outside providers and institutions. This study may result in positive social change by understanding how societal supports can encourage a model of care based on cultural and familial values rather than outside institutional care.

Large numbers of baby boomers and a shift towards home-based long-term care designate a need for a greater understanding of caregiver attitudes surrounding the financing of long-term home-based care. This study examined more fully the types of home-based long-term care services that family caregivers were utilizing for their parents. In addition, the willingness and ability of caregivers to privately fund these services for aging parents were explored. The study utilized a preexisting data set of qualitative interviews that were conducted with 30 family caregivers helping to provide long-term care for an elderly parent or older-generation relative. Participants in the sample used many home- and community-based services such as home health aides and nurses, physical therapists, cleaning services and adult day centers. Often these services were funded via Medicare, Medicaid, care recipient funds, state programs, and caregiver funds. In addition, caregivers were often willing, but unable to pay for long-term parent care on their own. Many caregivers in the study found paying for long-term parent care unnecessary. Family expectations, moral and religious responsibility, and a high aversion to nursing home care were cited as reasons for willingness to fund long-term care at home. Similarly, lack of family support and other personal obstacles were noted as reasons for inability to pay for care. Those who found payment for care unnecessary noted that care recipients had sufficient funds for their own long-term care.

The increasing frequency of disasters in recent years has made clear the importance of preparing for their devastating impacts. The intersection of immigrant status and older age in immigrant older adults subjects them to a high risk for harm in disasters. Thus, ensuring that this population can effectively prepare for disasters is crucial. However, research that focuses on disaster preparedness among immigrant older adults in a Canadian context is limited. We interviewed informal caregivers of immigrant older adults to explore their experiences regarding the disaster preparedness of their care recipients. We aimed to describe caregivers’ knowledge of disaster risk among immigrant older adults, as well as their experiences and perceptions of barriers and facilitators of preparedness among older immigrants. We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with a sample of 10 informal caregivers of older immigrants who reside in Ottawa and Toronto. All interviews were audio-recorded, and interview content was analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Participants were able to identify the additional risks their older immigrant family members experience, and they took on the responsibility for disaster preparedness and response for the care recipients. However, the following barriers to preparedness efforts were identified: The financial costs of preparing, lack of confidence to prepare due to inadequate information about preparedness measures, communication difficulties among family members, and time constraints. Participants’ contingency plans for caregiving for the older immigrants were largely unspoken, and influenced by cultural norms. Lastly, faith-based organizations were seen by participants as potentially having a significant role in their family members’ disaster preparedness and response; participants were largely unaware of any other relevant community-based supports. We anticipate that our results will provide insight into the barriers and protective factors that older immigrants and their caregivers experience in safeguarding against harm in disasters, and we anticipate the recommendations will inform policies and interventions to support them.

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