Type of Document Dissertation Author Parker, Lillian D. Author's Email Address lillianparker@clayton.edu, lparker8@gsu.edu URN etd-08132007-153355 Title A Study About Older African American Spousal Caregivers of Persons With Alzheimer's Disease Degree Ph.D. Department Nursing Advisory Committee
Advisor Name Title Alice Demi Committee Chair Carolyn Kee, Sharon King Committee Member Keywords
- African American Spousal Caregivers
- Older African American Caregivers
- Spousal Caregivers of Persons with Alzheimer's Dis
- African American Caregivers
Date of Defense 2007-07-16 Availability unrestricted Abstract ABSTRACTA STUDY ABOUT OLDER AFRICAN AMERICAN SPOUSAL CAREGIVERS
OF PERSONS WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
by
LILLIAN D. PARKER
The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was threefold: (a) to assess the
relationships between boundary ambiguity, spirituality, marital relationship quality, and
caregiver strain and depression among older African American spousal caregivers of
persons with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD); (b) to identify which variables are the best
predictors of caregiver strain; and (c) to identify which variables are the best predictors of depression. The sample consisted of 25 female and 15 male spouses, who were ages
60 to 87. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation
coefficients, and multiple regression. Marital relationship quality was correlated with the
two dependent variables, caregiver strain and depression. In hierarchical multiple
regression, a model containing gender, years since spouse’s diagnosis with AD and
marital relationship quality predicted 40% of the variance in caregiver strain. Marital
relationship quality was the only significant predictor for depression. The model
containing marital relationship quality predicted 22% of the variance in depression.
Additional findings were that participants scored high on the spirituality measure, that
years since diagnosis of AD was negatively correlated with boundary ambiguity,
spirituality, and caregiver strain, that there was a significant decrease in the quality of the
marital relationship since the spouse became a caregiver, and that almost half had no help
with caregiving. There was limited support for the proposed conceptual model, therefore,
a revised model was proposed. Based on the study results, in dealing with spouses who
are providing caregiving to AD patients, nurses need to assess the quality of the marital
relationship, and to recognize that the longer the spouse is a caregiver the greater the
strain and depression, and that community resources need to be mobilized to assist the
spouse with caregiving. A depression screen and marital assessment may provide cues
regarding psychosocial needs of spousal caregivers.
Files
Filename Size Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)
28.8 Modem 56K Modem ISDN (64 Kb) ISDN (128 Kb) Higher-speed Access parker_lillian_d_07summer_phd.pdf.pdf 1.01 Mb 00:04:40 00:02:24 00:02:06 00:01:03 00:00:05