Adult day service use and reductions in caregiving hours: effects on stress and psychological well-being for dementia caregivers

Background The objective of this study was to determine whether adult day service use interacts with decreases in primary caregiving hours (i.e. the time caregivers spent on activities of daily living/instru mental activities of daily living, memory problems, and behavior problems for patients) to alleviate caregiver stress and negative mental health over time. Methods Three-month longitudinal data from the Adult Day Care Collaborative Study (n = 400) were used. Results Decreases in memory problem hours among adult day service users were associated with reduced feelings of role overload; decreases in ADL hours among non-users were associated with decreases in worry and strain over a three-month period. Conclusion The findings suggest that adult day services are potentially effective in restructuring caregiving time and providing respite to family members. Copyright (C) 2002 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.