Effect of a single-session mindfulness-based intervention for reducing stress in family caregivers of people with dementia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Caregiver stress can pose serious health and psychological concerns, highlighting the importance of timely interventions for family caregivers of people with dementia. Single-session mindfulness-based interventions could be a promising yet under-researched approach to enhancing their mental well-being within their unpredictable, time-constrained contexts. This trial will evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of a blended mindfulness-based intervention consisting of a single session and app-based follow-up in reducing caregiver stress.

Conducting Assessments of Community-Based Programs for Individuals with Dementia and their Family Caregivers.

While the gold standard for intervention science is the randomized controlled trial (RCT), there is growing emphasis on the practical implementation and evaluation of evidence-based programs into community agencies. Assessment of program efficacy by community-based organizations can confirm planned delivery of services, implementation fidelity, and demonstrate positive outcomes, which can provide justification for funding. Methods and measures used in an RCT, however, often cannot be implemented in non-research settings and different approaches are needed.

Dyadic Ambivalence in Couples Managing Early-Stage Alzheimer's Disease: Linking Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia to Life Satisfaction.

Objectives: Caring for a spouse with Alzheimer's disease (AD) can elicit considerable distress but there are also positive moments. A growing body of work has examined caregivers' ambivalence in the care relationship and linked it to negative caregiver outcomes such as depression, but dyadic assessments of both parties' perspectives are missing. We examined ambivalence in both people with AD and their spousal caregivers, seeking to identify the correlates and well-being outcomes of such ambivalence in this unique context.

Post-diagnostic support for persons with young-onset dementia - a retrospective analysis based on data from the Swedish dementia registry SveDem.

Background: Approximately 3.9 million persons worldwide have young-onset dementia. Symptoms related to young-onset dementia present distinct challenges related to finances, employment, and family.

Empathy and support exchanges in couples coping with early-stage Alzheimer's disease.

Objectives: Research has extensively examined spousal caregiving in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but it remains unclear how people with AD help spousal caregivers. We aimed to describe emotional and practical support that people with AD and their spouses provide to each other and test the role their empathy plays in these support experiences.

Methods: Seventy-two people with early-stage AD and their spousal caregivers independently reported empathy (personal distress, empathic concern, perspective taking) and the frequency and appraisal of support provision.

Multiphase optimization of a multicomponent intervention for informal dementia caregivers: a study protocol.

Background: Family caregiver interventions are essential to support dementia caregiving. However, such interventions are typically complex and consist of multiple components. Existing evidence rarely delineates the effectiveness and interactions between individual components.

Temporal Patterns of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia and Caregiver Distress: Associated Daily and Individual Factors.

This study examined daily occurrences of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and whether caregivers' perceived distress towards BPSD varies throughout four phases of the day (i.e., morning, daytime, evening, and night).

Sequential multiple assignment randomised controlled trial protocol for developing an adaptive intervention to improve depressive symptoms among family caregivers of people with dementia.

Objectives: Family caregivers of people with dementia (FC-of-PWD) suffer from a high level of stress and depressive symptoms, which usually require different interventions at different stages. Although some standalone interventions such as behavioural activation (BA) and mindfulness practice (MP) have been shown to be potentially effective at reducing depressive symptoms, the best sequence and combination of these interventions for caregivers are unknown. This study aims to develop and identify a two-stage adaptive intervention with prespecified rules guiding whether, how or when to offer different interventions initially/over time to reduce depressive symptoms in FG-of-PWD.

Predictive Factors of Negative Spillover From Caregiving to Employment Among Japanese Family Caregivers With Older Relatives in a Care Facility.

This cross-sectional study included 211 employed family caregivers with older relatives living in care facilities in Japan. Using multiple linear regression analysis, we examined the caregiving context after institutionalization of an older family member. Specifically, we examined predictors of negative spillover from caregiving to employment among family caregivers.

The Changing Demography of Late-Life Family Caregiving: A Research Agenda to Understand Future Care Networks for an Aging U.S. Population.

Repeated claims that a dwindling supply of potential caregivers is creating a crisis in care for the U.S. aging population have not been well-grounded in empirical research.

Development and Psychometric Validation of the 27 Item Zarit Caregiver Interview for Alzheimer's Disease (ZCI-AD-27).

Background: Caring for an individual with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an allencompassing challenge that affects daily life. Assessment of the care partner experience is needed to support the development and evaluation of successful interventions for people with AD and their care partners. We developed the 27-item Zarit Caregiver Interview for Alzheimer's Disease (ZCI-AD-27) to assess the impact of informal caregiving in the context of AD.

Developing a Framework for the Support of Informal Caregivers: Experiences from Sweden, Ireland, and the United States.

Policies and services to support informal caregivers vary considerably across countries. This paper examines the role of caregivers and how perspectives on that role may influence the availability of benefits and services in three countries that differ considerably in their care systems - Sweden, Ireland and the United States. We developed a nine-dimensional framework for examining differences, including policies and how the role of caregiver is conceptualized.

Daily sleep, well-being, and adult day services use among dementia care dyads.

Objectives: The study aimed to describe daily sleep characteristics for dementia care dyads in the context of adult day services (ADS) use and examine the associations with sleep quality and daytime functioning (fatigue, affect, and behavior problems).

Methods: Caregivers (CG;  = 173) reported daily bedtime, wake time, and sleep quality for themselves and the persons living with dementia (PLWD) across 8 consecutive days ( = 1359), where PLWD attended ADS at least 2 days of the week. On each day, caregivers also reported their own fatigue and affect and PLWD's daytime behavior problems and nighttime sleep problems.

The role of goal and meaning in life for older adults facing interpersonal stress.

Interpersonal stressful events (ISE) have been shown to be potent predictors of major depressive symptoms among older adults. This study examines the relationships between recent ISE and depressive symptoms in late life and explores whether having coping cognitive resource (e.g.

Midlife Children's and Older Mothers' Depressive Symptoms: Empathic Mother-Child Relationships as a Key Moderator.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the link between midlife children's and older mothers' depressive symptoms, whether this link is exacerbated in highly empathic mother-child relationships (i.e., shared strong feelings of being loved, cared for, and understood in the mother-child tie), and whether these associations vary by children's gender.

Functional Limitations, Social Integration, and Daily Activities in Late Life.

Objectives: Disability in late life has been associated with increases in receiving care and loss of autonomy. The Disablement Process Model suggests that physical impairments lead to functional limitations that contribute to disabilities in managing household, job, or other demands. Yet, we know surprisingly little about how functional limitations are related to activities throughout the day among community-dwelling adults or the possible moderating role of social integration on these associations.

Taking a Break: Daily Respite Effects of Adult Day Services as Objective and Subjective Time Away From Caregiving.

Background And Objectives: Adult day services (ADS) can provide emotional and physical relief for caregivers of persons with dementia. While prior studies conceptualized ADS use at the aggregate level as a dichotomous construct, little is known about objective and subjective respite as distinct constructs. This study investigated how objective and subjective breaks from caregiving were associated with caregivers' daily emotional well-being.

Daily Social Interactions and HPA Axis Activity Among Midlife and Older Adults.

Background And Objectives: Older people experience fewer negative interactions and report less stress in response to interpersonal tensions. Less is known, however, about the implications of daily social interactions for biological stress responses. We evaluated links between daily positive and negative interactions and 2 key biomeasures of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis: salivary cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S).

Family caregivers' distress responses to daily behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia: The moderating role of relationship quality.

Objectives: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are associated with distress among caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD), but less is known about how relationship quality may buffer this association. This study examines the association between daily BPSD and daily perceived distress among family caregivers and the moderating role of relationship quality.

Methods: Data were from 173 family caregivers of PWD from the Daily Stress and Health study.

Creation and Initial Validation of the Caregiver Analysis of Reported Experiences with Swallowing Disorders (CARES) Screening Tool.

Purpose Dysphagia is a debilitating condition with widespread consequences. Previous research has revealed dysphagia to be an independent predictor of caregiver burden. However, there is currently no systematic method of screening for or identifying dysphagia-related caregiver burden.

Positive and negative experiences of caregiving in dementia: The role of sense of coherence.

Objectives: Sense of coherence (SOC) is increasingly recognized as an important health determinant, particularly for mental health. Part of the evidence comes from informal caregivers in diverse clinical conditions. The extent to which SOC influences caregiving outcomes, however, is relatively under-researched in dementia, particularly regarding positive experiences.

Aging Parents' and Middle-Aged Children's Evaluations of Parents' Disability and Life Problems.

This study examined discrepancies in aging parents' and middle-aged children's evaluations of aging parents' problems and how these discrepancies were associated with relationship characteristics. Using data from the (dyad ), discrepancies in the parents' disabilities and life problems reported by parents and their offspring were examined. Children reported a greater number of disabilities and life problems in their parents' lives than parents did.

A comparison of primary and secondary caregivers of persons with dementia.

Having 2 or more relatives involved in the informal care of people with dementia is frequent worldwide. There are, however, few comparisons of primary and secondary caregivers and even fewer of those who are caring for the same person. Our study aimed to contrast these 2 experiences of caregiving.

Revisiting Intergenerational Contact and Relationship Quality in Later Life: Parental Characteristics Matter.

Contact and relationship quality between adult children and aging parents are two widely used indicators of intergenerational solidarity and are often assumed to be positively correlated. However, the association between the two may depend on characteristics of the parent involved. Using Family Exchanges Study Wave 1, this study assessed whether parental difficulties-measured as functional limitations and life problems-and gender moderated the associations between middle-aged adults' contact and relationship quality with their parents.