Date of Award
Spring 4-25-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
D.S.W. Social work
Department
Social Work
First Advisor
Yoon Mi Kim, MSW, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Janice Gasker, LCSW, DSW
Third Advisor
Sharon Lyter, LCSW, Ph.D.
Abstract
Over 7 million Americans age 65 and older live with Alzheimer’s in the United States, and more than 11 million caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias provided an estimated 18 billion hours of unpaid care valued at $340 billion (Alzheimer’s Association, 2023). This study implemented a new intervention called an "Awareness Toolkit" for Alzheimer's caregivers comprised of Alzheimer’s disease-related education, community resources, and support tailored to the county where care was provided, including caregiver self-care and coping tips. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of an Awareness Toolkit intervention and examine its influence on Alzheimer caregivers’ preparedness, burden, and personal growth. Methods Randomly assigned caregivers in the intervention group were informed about the Awareness Toolkit intervention, supplemented with social work case management services. Conversely, randomly assigned caregivers in the control group received this intervention upon the study's conclusion. A total of 51 completed surveys were returned, comprising 28 surveys from the intervention group and 23 surveys from the control group. Three measurements were used to measure levels of caregiver burden, preparedness, and growth: 1) Zarit Caregiver Burden Assessment (Zarit et al., 2001), 2) Preparedness for Caregiving Scale (Archbold et al., 1990), and 3) Posttraumatic Growth Inventory Short Form (Cann et al., 2010).
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
RIvers, Ann, "The Perceived Impact of an "Awareness Toolkit" on Alzheimer Caregivers' Preparedness, Burden, and Posttraumatic Growth" (2024). Social Work Doctoral Dissertations. 36.
https://research.library.kutztown.edu/socialworkdissertations/36
