Mediating effects of predictability between caregiving demands and caregiving consequences for persons living with dementia: A longitudinal study

•A higher perceived predictability was associated with a more positive impact on health-related quality of life.•Predictability in family caregiving should be taken into considerations when assessing conditions of family caregivers of persons living with dementia.•The healthcare interventions that enhance predictability for family caregivers of persons living with dementia could help reduce the impact of high caregiving demands. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of predictability in the relationship between caregiving demands and caregiving consequences. Design. This 2-year longitudinal survey study collected from self-report questionnaires. A convenience sample of family caregivers of older persons living with dementia were recruited from a neurology clinic. A total of 200 family caregivers were recruited to participate. Analysis indicated predictability was a partial mediator between caregiving demand and caregiver consequences of role strain, depressive symptoms and both physical and mental components of health-related quality of life at the 2-year follow. Predictability accounted for 25 %, 28.8 %, 15.3 % and 46.5 % of the relationship between caregiving demand and caregiving consequences of role strain, depressive symptoms, physical- and mental-health related quality of life, respectively. The contributions of caregiving demand to outcomes of caregiver consequences were in part due family caregivers perceived predictability for caregiving.