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The Health of Older Family Caregivers–A 6-Year Follow-up

Wranker, Lena Sandin LU ; Elmståhl, Sölve LU and Cecilia, Fagerström (2021) In Journal of Gerontological Social Work 64(2). p.190-207
Abstract

It is unclear whether caregiving has an impact on the physical, mental and functional health of older caregivers. This study aimed to describe physical, mental and functional health in relation to family caregiving in old age (60+) over a six-year period. The study comprised 2,294 randomly selected individuals (60–96 years) from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care, who answered the question on whether they were caregivers and who were followed up six years later. The prevalence of family caregivers was 13.1% and the incidence was 12.4%. Four tracks (T) were identified; T1) Family caregiver both at baseline and follow-up (n = 74), T2) Family caregiver at baseline but not at follow-up (n = 226), T3) non-caregiver at baseline but... (More)

It is unclear whether caregiving has an impact on the physical, mental and functional health of older caregivers. This study aimed to describe physical, mental and functional health in relation to family caregiving in old age (60+) over a six-year period. The study comprised 2,294 randomly selected individuals (60–96 years) from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care, who answered the question on whether they were caregivers and who were followed up six years later. The prevalence of family caregivers was 13.1% and the incidence was 12.4%. Four tracks (T) were identified; T1) Family caregiver both at baseline and follow-up (n = 74), T2) Family caregiver at baseline but not at follow-up (n = 226), T3) non-caregiver at baseline but family caregiver at follow-up (n = 218), T4) non-caregiver both at baseline and follow-up (1,776). Only non-caregivers (T4) reported a decline in mental health, p < .036. Worries about health increased significantly in T2 and T4. The prevalence of caregivers was 13.1% with a high turnover. There are differences between family caregivers and non-caregivers in deterioration in physical and mental health as well as physical function over a six-year period.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Caregiving, disability, health - mental, health - physical
in
Journal of Gerontological Social Work
volume
64
issue
2
pages
190 - 207
publisher
Haworth Press
external identifiers
  • pmid:33155521
  • scopus:85095796342
ISSN
0163-4372
DOI
10.1080/01634372.2020.1843098
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ad53f87c-a68f-4d0f-b1a9-7ff5793927c4
date added to LUP
2020-11-27 09:24:29
date last changed
2024-06-14 03:35:18
@article{ad53f87c-a68f-4d0f-b1a9-7ff5793927c4,
  abstract     = {{<p>It is unclear whether caregiving has an impact on the physical, mental and functional health of older caregivers. This study aimed to describe physical, mental and functional health in relation to family caregiving in old age (60+) over a six-year period. The study comprised 2,294 randomly selected individuals (60–96 years) from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care, who answered the question on whether they were caregivers and who were followed up six years later. The prevalence of family caregivers was 13.1% and the incidence was 12.4%. Four tracks (T) were identified; T1) Family caregiver both at baseline and follow-up (n = 74), T2) Family caregiver at baseline but not at follow-up (n = 226), T3) non-caregiver at baseline but family caregiver at follow-up (n = 218), T4) non-caregiver both at baseline and follow-up (1,776). Only non-caregivers (T4) reported a decline in mental health, p &lt; .036. Worries about health increased significantly in T2 and T4. The prevalence of caregivers was 13.1% with a high turnover. There are differences between family caregivers and non-caregivers in deterioration in physical and mental health as well as physical function over a six-year period.</p>}},
  author       = {{Wranker, Lena Sandin and Elmståhl, Sölve and Cecilia, Fagerström}},
  issn         = {{0163-4372}},
  keywords     = {{Caregiving; disability; health - mental; health - physical}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{190--207}},
  publisher    = {{Haworth Press}},
  series       = {{Journal of Gerontological Social Work}},
  title        = {{The Health of Older Family Caregivers–A 6-Year Follow-up}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2020.1843098}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/01634372.2020.1843098}},
  volume       = {{64}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}