[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The number of Hispanics/Latinos living with dementia in the United States is expected to rise from 200,000 to 1.3 million by 2050, which will result in large numbers of Hispanics/Latinos assuming the role of caregiver. The demands of caregiving can negatively impact caregivers' health. The purpose of this review was to identify intervention strategies that can help Hispanics/Latinos deal with the burden associated with providing care for older adults with dementia.
The authors critically reviewed and analyzed the literature for interventions and their relevance to these caregivers. The search engines and electronics databases of Google Scholar; Social Gerontology; Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition; MEDLINE; PsycARTICLES; CINAHL; and PubMed, were used to locate articles published between 1999 and 2011.
Ten intervention studies published between 2000 and 2011 were identified that targeted Hispanic/Latino caregivers: most were from one clinical trial (REACH).
Future studies should consider culturally tailoring interventions for Hispanic/Latino caregivers from differing subcultures, utilizing relevant technology in studies, and evaluating the functional level of the care receiver and assess where he/she is in the disease process continuum. A better understanding of within-group differences among Hispanic/Latino caregivers, especially with respect to acculturation, could lead to better tailoring of interventions. Future research should consider the possibility of discovery-based participatory approaches. Few studies have addressed these areas of concern in this population.
American Journal of Alzheimer s Disease and Other Dementias 02/2012; 27(1):23-32. · 1.45 Impact Factor