AFRICAN AMERICAN ADRD FAMILY CAREGIVER PERCEPTIONS OF CAREGIVING AND SELF-CARE

Over 5 million persons are affected by Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia (ADRD), which is a growing public health issue, with 75% of family caregivers providing care in the community. There are considerable mental and physical health costs impacting ADRD family caregivers, with research aimed at testing interventions designed to improve health outcomes of ADRD family caregivers. However, African American ADRD family caregivers are underrepresented in ADRD family caregiving intervention research, where little is known about how they experience the caregiving process and manage their own mental and physical health as a result of the caregiving process. The purpose of this study was to examine African American ADRD family caregivers’ perceptions of the caregiving experience and self-care practices during the process of caregiving. Twenty-four, 90-minute semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with African American ADRD family caregivers. Common themes will be presented, where findings will further inform the design and implementation of a culturally tailored intervention to meet specific needs and improve the health of African American ADRD family caregivers.