Sense of Need for Financial Support and Respite Services among Informal Caregivers of Older Americans

ABSTRACT

Financial support and respite services are two of the most frequently reported types of help that caregivers of older adults need. Using an expanded health behavioral model, this study examined the effects of predisposing, enabling, and needs factors on caregivers' sense of need for these two types help. Data were drawn from the 1999 National Long-Term Care Survey and included 1,058 caregiving dyads in the community. The results indicated that caregiver-related factors more than care recipient–related factors affected caregivers' sense of need to seek both types of help. The findings direct to two important implications for long-term care policy for and practice with older adults: improvement of service for caregivers and service delivery systems.

KEYWORDS:

• Service utilization
• help-seeking behavior
• informal caregivers
• respite services
• financial support
• caregiver burden

Notes

^aPercentages are based on the valid cases.

∗p < 0.05;

∗∗p < 0.011

∗∗∗p < 0.001.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Banghwa Lee Casado

Authors' Note: Financial support for this study was provided by the John. A. Hartford Doctoral Fellows Program in Geriatric Social Work. The author also expresses sincere gratitude to Drs. Maxine Epstein and Andrew Achenbaum at the University of Houston, Dr. Namkee Choi at The University of Texas at Austin, and Ms. Nancy Wilson at the Baylor College of Medicine for their encouragement and guidance in the development of this study and to Dr. Donna Harrington at the University of Maryland for her thorough review and helpful comments in preparing this manuscript.