Preliminary Analysis of Aspects of Caregiving among Spousal Caregivers and Adult Child Caregivers for Persons with Dementia

Background While dementia caregiving experiences may vary across individuals, many studies have focused on the negative aspects of caregiving and reducing caregiver burden and stress. Understanding both positive and negative aspects of caregiving is essential, particularly between different caregiver types. This study aimed to compare positive and negative caregiving experiences between spousal and adult child caregivers. We also examined whether the caregiver type (spousal caregivers vs. adult child caregivers) is a significant factor predicting these caregiving experiences. Method We analyzed baseline data from an ongoing trial to manage sleep problems among persons with dementia (PwD) and their caregivers. Demographic data, Positive Aspects of Caregiving (PAC), Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), and Center for Epidemiological Studies of Depression (CESD) data were collected from 39 caregivers (n = 27 spouses, n = 12 adult children; 82% women, 54% Whites). Descriptive and bivariate analyses and multiple regression models were conducted. Result Adult child caregivers reported that providing care for their loved one made them feel more appreciated than spousal caregivers (4.25±1.21 vs. 3.48±0.97, respectively); however, they felt more stress when caring for the PwD and trying to meet other family and work responsibilities (2.75±0.86 vs. 2.07±0.99, respectively) and felt they should be doing more for the PwD (2.17±0.71 vs. 1.30±1.07, respectively; all p