Understanding the Needs of Diverse Family Caregivers
Author Information
Author(s): Janice Bell, Robin Whitney, Link Benjamin, Shikha Bhurtel, Orly Tonkikh, Jessica Famula, Kathleen Kelly, Heather Young
Primary Institution: UC Davis
Hypothesis
What are the caregiving demands and unmet needs of diverse family caregivers?
Conclusion
Diverse family caregivers face significant unmet needs and resource gaps, particularly those who are older, low-income, or from racial/ethnic minority groups.
Supporting Evidence
- More than 56 million family caregivers provided unpaid care to a family member in the last year.
- Older caregivers and those with low income were more likely to provide high intensity care.
- Younger caregivers and those from racial/ethnic minority groups were more likely to perform medical/nursing tasks.
- These groups were also the least likely to have help and most likely to report poor health outcomes.
Takeaway
Many family caregivers are helping loved ones but often don't get the support they need, especially if they are older or from different backgrounds.
Methodology
Data was collected from a large statewide database (CareNavTM) by 11 California Caregiver Resources Centers.
Participant Demographics
Almost half of the caregivers identified as Black non-Hispanic, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Native American/Alaska Native, or multi-racial/other.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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