Assessing the health of adult daughter former caregivers for elders with Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Past research is varied in assessing the effect of caregiving on health, particularly caregivers in the postcaregiving phase. The variation may be due, in part, to methodological issues, including the use of health measures not psychometrically tested. The study examines the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36)1 health survey with 102 former caregivers whose family member was deceased for at least one year at the time of the study and had been identified as having Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder. The SF-36 measures eight dimensions of physical and mental health and has been tested on a variety of populations, though not with former daughter caregivers. Confirmatory Factor Analysis supported the factorial validity of the SF-36 for this population, indicating it is a promising tool for understanding postcaregiver health.