Available via license: CC BY 4.0
Content may be subject to copyright.
GSA 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting
(IC) providing assistance to the CR and factors are associ-
ated with more help received from other ICs. Dr. Pruchno,
an expert in caregiving research, will discuss study ndings.
The symposium provides insights into unique experiences of
LDCs, the impact of LDC on mental health, and resource use
among LDCs.
WHAT DOES LONG-DISTANCE CAREGIVING LOOK
LIKE?
Amy Horowitz,1 Danielle Jimenez,1 Verena Cimarolli,2
Francesca Falzarano,1 and Jillian Minahan1, 1. Fordham
University, New York, New York, United States, 2.
LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, Washington,
District of Columbia, United States
Long-distance caregivers (LDCs) are dened by geog-
raphy, with little known about what they actually do when
visiting and from afar. Both quantitative and qualitative
data were collected from 304 LDCs. Half of LDCs lived
more than 500 miles away from the care receiver (CR); 38%
visited at least 1x a month, another 53% visited several
times a year. Visit length varied extensively, ranging from
one to 90days at a time, with a median of 3days. Awide
range of care management tasks were common both when
visiting and from afar; and targeted both formal providers
and other informal caregivers. Emotional support and help
with ADLs and IADLs were common during in-person
visits. Other examples of emerging themes include: building
relationships with formal care providers; personalizing care
through, for example, special foods and/or activities; and
the role of resources in determining visit length and help
provided.
THE SOCIOCULTURAL STRESS PROCESS MODEL
APPLIED TO LONG-DISTANCE CAREGIVING
VerenaR. Cimarolli,1 Amy Horowitz,2 Danielle Jimenez,2
Xiaomei Shi,3 Francesca Falzarano,2 and Jillian Minahan2,
1. LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, Washington,
District of Columbia, United States, 2. Fordham University,
New York, New York, United States, 3. LeadingAge LTSS
Center @UMass Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, United
States
This study investigated the impact of LDC on mental
health utilizing the Sociocultural Stress Process Model as
a conceptual framework. Apath analytic model tested the
impact of caregiving stressors (i.e. distance, frequencies
of visits, hours spent helping, burden) and sociocultural
values (i.e. familialism) on LDCs’ mental health outcomes
(i.e. depression, anxiety), and resources (i.e. coping strat-
egies, social support) which can mediate the association
between stressors and mental health outcomes while
controlling for socio-demographics. Results show that
resources did not mediate the effects of stressors on the
mental health outcomes. However, both higher depression
and anxiety were associated with living closer to the care
recipient (CR), less frequent visits, higher burden, being
younger, being female, and less optimal income adequacy.
In addition, higher depression was associated with lower
use of coping strategies and higher education. Higher anx-
iety was also associated with lower levels of social support
and higher familialism.
LONG-DISTANCE CAREGIVERS’ SATISFACTION AND
CHALLENGES WITH FORMAL CARE PROVIDERS
Francesca Falzarano,1 Jillian Minahan,1 Verena Cimarolli,2
Amy Horowitz,3 and Danielle Jimenez3, 1. Fordham
University, Bronx, New York, United States, 2. LeadingAge
LTSS Center @UMass Boston, Washington, District of
Columbia, United States, 3. Fordham University, New York,
New York, United States
The purpose of this study (N=304) was to identify differ-
ences in LDCs’ experiences with their care recipient’s (CR)
formal care providers (FCPs) among four LDC groups based
on CR dementia status and residential setting (community/
nursing home [NH]). Results show that LDCs of CRs without
dementia living in a NH are less likely to be satised with
information/communication provided by FCPs compared to
LDCs of CRs with dementia in the community. FCP-related
challenges were signicantly greater among LDCs of CRs in
a NH, with or without dementia, compared to LDCs of CRs
without dementia living in the community. A signicantly
greater proportion of LDCs of CRs living in a NH, with or
without dementia, reported dealing with inadequate care as
a challenge compared to LDCs of CRs with dementia living
in the community. This highlights LDCs’ unique experiences
related to FCPs based on differences in CR dementia status
and residential setting.
LONG-DISTANCE CAREGIVERS’ INFORMAL CARE
NETWORKS
Danielle Jimenez,1 Francesca Falzarano,2 Amy Horowitz,1
Verena Cimarolli,3 and Jillian Minahan2, 1. Fordham
University, New York, New York, United States, 2. Fordham
University, Bronx, New York, United States, 3. LeadingAge
LTSS Center @UMass Boston, Washington, District of
Columbia, United States
The purpose of this study (N=304) was to examine the
characteristics of LDCs’ informal caregiver (IC) network
(Co-caregivers [Co-CG], other informal helpers) providing
assistance to the care recipient (CR), and factors associated
with more help received from ICs. The majority of LDCs in
the sample reported working with at least one IC (81.9%)
indicating the existence of a secondary care network. LDCs
and Co-CGs were often siblings in comparison to other in-
formal helpers that were more likely to be the CR’s friend.
Results also show that CRs with children, living in the com-
munity, receiving no formal services, and lower levels of cog-
nitive impairment receive more hours of help from ICs. In
addition, more hours of help by ICs were associated with
LDCs’ having higher scores of depression and anxiety,
spending more hours per month helping the CR, and more
frequent contact with CR. These seemingly discrepant nd-
ings are discussed.
SESSION 2525 (SYMPOSIUM)
INTEREST GROUP SESSION—NURSING CARE OF
OLDER ADULTS: MAKING IT HAPPEN: PERSON-
CENTERED DEMENTIA CARE FOR BEHAVIORAL
AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS
Chair: AnnM. Kolanowski, Penn State, University Park,
Pa., United States
Innovation in Aging, 2019, Vol. 3, No. S1 557
Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/innovateage/article-abstract/3/Supplement_1/S557/5615772 by guest on 09 December 2019