The caregiving experience: A comparison of adult daughters of community dwelling parents with and without dementia.

Abstract

This case-control study compared the caregiving experience of adult daughters of parents with and without dementia who resided in the community. A synthesis of diverse theoretical perspectives, developed by the researcher, provided direction for this study. The data used in the analysis were drawn from the 1991-92 Canadian Study of Health and Aging. A representative sample of 106 daughters of parents with dementia and 45 daughters of parents without dementia provided information regarding the context, stressors, and the level and correlates of depressive symptomatology associated with provision of care to parents. Daughters of parents with dementia tended to be slightly older, single or widowed, co-resided with their parent and used more formal care services when compared to daughters of parents without dementia. Differences between groups were also found regarding the stressors they experienced while providing care. More specifically, daughters of parents with dementia assisted with more personal and instrumental care. Their parent's functional status was more impaired and they contended with more behavioural disturbances and experienced greater burden than daughters of parents without dementia. There were no statistical differences between groups with respect to mean scores on the CES-D scale. However, fully one quarter of daughters of parents with dementia and one fifth of daughters of parents without dementia achieved scores indicative of at least a mild level of depressive symptomatology. Finally, self-reported health, health interferences, the need for additional formal care services and feelings of caregiver burden were associated with depressive symptoms for both groups of daughters. In addition, for daughters of parents with dementia, depressive symptoms were associated with the provision of personal care tasks, behavioural disturbances and the functional status of parents. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)