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Family Caregiver Alliance’s statewide survey of California caregivers of brain-impaired adults (those with Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, etc.), revealed:
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77% of caregivers were female
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Mean age of caregivers: 58; 32% of caregivers are 65 years of age or older (range of caregiver age was 17 - 99 years)
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78% of care recipients lived at home with a spouse or other relatives
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47% of those caregivers under age 65 worked (full-time 33%; part-time 14%)
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Of those who had been in the labor force under age 65, 10% had quit their jobs to give care. Another 11% reduced their work hours.
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43% showed clinically significant depressive symptoms according to the CES-D evaluation; 56% report experiencing “anxiety or depression” within the last six months; and 50% report their health as “worse than it was six months ago.”
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79% of those responding said patient could not be left alone
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63% are unable to perform 3 to 5 personal activities of daily living (e.g., eating, bathing, transferring, toileting, dressing). 20% cannot perform 1 or 2 ADLs. 56% are incontinent.
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56% of family caregivers had annual household incomes of under $40,000 (2005 dollars)
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Greatest caregiver needs were for general information/orientation (68%), emotional support (59%) and respite care (53%)
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Mean number of hours caregivers provided care: 84 per week
Source: Caregiver Resource Centers’ 2004-2005 Intake data and 2004-2005 Uniform Assessment Database. Population consists of 9,988 family caregivers from all regions of the state who were assessed by one of the CRCs (received services beyond basic information).
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