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Biomedical subjects

S H Zarit

Publications and source records attributed to S H Zarit.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Changes in cognitive functioning of the oldest old.

Cognitive changes during a 2-year interval in a representative sample of the oldest old were investigated. Respondents were 324 people aged 84 to 90 at baseline who were selected from census records in the Jönköping region of Sweden. Following a 2-year interval, it was possible to reinterview 213 people, or 94% of individuals, still alive. Performance on a battery of five cognitive tests showed a small decline in mean scores, and a 10% increase in the number of people meeting criteria for significant cognitive impairment. Respondents with better functioning at baseline tended to have stable performance over this period.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Institutional placement: phases of the transition.

The consequences of institutionalization were examined for a sample of caregivers of dementia patients. Consistent with the stress process model, institutionalization was hypothesized to have a large impact on the primary effects of caregiving and lesser influence on secondary effects and well-being. Following placement, relatives experienced relief from primary effects of caregiving (e.g., feelings of overload and tension) and improved well-being, whereas other indicators of stress remained unchanged.

Caregivers↗
PubMed1992

Caregivers' perceptions of case management and community-based services: barriers to service use.

This study explored the use of case-managed services for dementia patients and their families. Forty-six primary caregivers, recruited from five case-managed programs and from independent sources, participated in a structured interview. The findings suggest ways in which case-managed services might be structured more effectively for caregivers to dementia patients. Specifically, families seek greater flexibility and increased family input into the service package. Further, caregivers emphasize the need for more information about service eligibility and availability, and the importance of finding a sympathetic person within the system.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Empirical perspectives on services integration and aging: a review.

This article combines a review of social service literature with interviews of key informants on the issue of integrating services for the elderly into human services across the life span. Empirical findings concerning the relative benefits and drawbacks of age-integrated vs. specialized service organizational structures are emphasized. Surprisingly few empirical studies were identified. Instead of empirically based reports, the literature is largely comprised of polemics, which essentially restate long-standing positions on the preferred handling of integration. A persistent difficulty in discussions of federal and state service integration objectives has been the wide differences in definitions of "integration." The lack of data demonstrating that older persons benefit in integrated service systems, along with substantial progress in development of specialized services for the aged, suggest that aging advocates should be cautious in embracing age-integrated service integration proposals. Research within management information systems oriented toward client outcomes is necessary to gain valid knowledge of the merits of various integrated service models.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Dementia and cognitive impairment in the oldest old: a comparison of two rating methods.

Rates of cognitive impairment in a representative population of the oldest old (aged 84 to 90) were examined using two indicators: The Global Deterioration Scale (GDS), and a Cognitive Rating (CR) derived from performance on five neuropsychological tests. Prevalence was estimated at 25.3%, using the GDS, and 30% with the CR. The overall degree of congruence between the measures was high, with most disagreements involving mildly impaired cases. The results indicate a high degree of convergence of clinical and neuropsychological indicators. The findings also confirm high rates of impairment among the oldest old.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Efficacy of interventions with caregivers: a reanalysis.

This paper presents a reanalysis of data from a previously reported study with family caregivers of dementia patients using the method of prediction analysis. Compared with subjects on a waiting list or enrolled in support groups, caregivers in individual and family counseling were more likely to have successful outcomes on all dependent measures (Brief Symptom Inventory, personal strain, and role strain).

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Informal support from black churches and the well-being of elderly blacks.

This paper explores the type of support black churches and families provide, and how that support relates to the well-being of elderly blacks. Findings indicate that the family network is perceived as more supportive than the church network, but that church support contributes to feelings of well-being. Perceptions of support from the churches and not the spiritual aspects of religion or involvement in organized religious activities were associated with well-being.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1991

Caregiver activity on respite and nonrespite days: a comparison of two service approaches.

Use of time was examined among female caregivers of dementia patients who used home care (n = 20) and day care (n = 20) respite services. Assessment of caregiver activity during respite and nonrespite days revealed significant program differences in the amount of caregiving time and overall differences in the amount of noncaregiving time. Use of respite time was also examined. Significant predictors of willingness to continue care were identified. Ratings of program satisfaction were very high.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Current research issues in caregiving to the elderly.

Caregivers for dependent elders have been the subject of numerous studies in recent years. This first wave of research demonstrates that caregiving is demanding and may be expensive to the caregiver socially, psychologically, physically, and financially. This article reviews the caregiving literature and focuses on current limitations and future directions for study in two areas: sampling and research design. Specifically suggested are ways to refine sampling procedures and to more carefully define what a caregiver is. In the design of caregiving studies, both group and individual differences offer insight into the impact of caregiving. In addition, dyadic measurement of the caregiver, the elder, and the family are suggested. Finally, in examining a progressive phenomenon such as Alzheimer's disease or memory loss, longitudinal designs are necessary and timely.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Incontinence among elderly community-dwelling dementia patients. Characteristics, management, and impact on caregivers.

Incontinence was identified by 36% of 184 caregivers as a problem in their care of older community-dwelling patients with dementia. Incontinent dementia patients had greater impairment of cognitive function and more frequent behavioral problems than did patients without incontinence. Burden scores were higher among caregivers of incontinent patients, but multiple regression analyses indicated that factors other than incontinence contributed more to perceived burden. Follow-up interviews revealed that incontinence had played an important role in most decisions to institutionalize among caregivers of patients who were placed in a nursing home between interviews; it rarely, however, was the primary reason. The majority of incontinent patients still residing in the community were being managed by nonspecific techniques such as diapers and toileting schedules. These data emphasize the need to educate community caregivers of dementia patients in the appropriate management of incontinence and the need for further research on methods of effectively targeting assessment and treatment strategies to this patient population.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Current and future direction in family caregiving research.

The Symposium concludes with suggested ways to improve measurement of treatment effects in studies of group interventions for family caregivers: better specification of goals and outcomes, development of measures less likely to have floor and ceiling effects, and determination of whether specific treatment processes have been implemented and goals attained. Samples too heterogeneous on key variables also make identification of change more difficult.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Family caregiving to dependent older adults: stress, appraisal, and coping.

Articles presented in this 1987 APA symposium adopt a stress, appraisal, and coping framework for conceptualizing the experience of family caregiving. Each article emphasizes 2 themes: (a) caregivers' adaptation to the chronic demands of in-home caregiving and (b) factors that mediate the relationship between caregiving stress and caregiver's adaptation. The articles presented in this symposium illustrate both the utility of this theoretical approach to studying caregiving stress and the difficulty inherent in its use.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1988

Symptoms of psychological distress among caregivers of dementia patients.

Nine subscales of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) were examined for caregivers of dementia patients. Caregivers (N = 184) were divided into groups on the basis of age (less than or equal to 59 and 60+ ) and gender. Their scores were compared with age-matched norms. All of the caregiving groups were significantly elevated on the Hostility subscale. Both younger and older women scored higher than the norms on the Anxiety subscale, and the older women were significantly elevated on three other subscales as well. The Anxiety and Hostility subscales of the BSI were most strongly correlated with the Burden Interview, a measure of the demands imposed by caregiving activities. This relation between burden and symptomatology highlights the stressful nature of caregiving.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1987

Interventions with care givers of dementia patients: comparison of two approaches.

We compared the effect of two approaches, family counseling and support groups, for relieving the stress and burden experienced by care givers of dementia patients. Both treatments are designed to implement features of a stress-management model that have been identified in prior research with this population: providing information about the patient's disease and its effects on behavior, teaching behavioral problem solving for managing difficult behavior, and identifying potential support for care givers. Subjects were primary care givers of dementia patients living in the community; they included husbands, wives, daughters, and other relatives. Although subjects in the treatment groups made significant gains over time, they did not differ from wait-list subjects who showed similar improvements. One-year follow-up interviews indicated that gains made during the treatment period were maintained.

Adaptation, Psychological↗