Influence of Gender on Caregiving for Early and Moderate Stage Alzheimer's Disease Patients

The American population of persons aged 65 and over is projected to double in the next 19 years. As this population increases, so will the number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Caregiver research has shown that AD caregivers are physically and mentally affected by caring for an Alzheimer's patient, with the effect being stress, burden, or both. To examine these effects further, this study explored the predictive relationship between the gender of caregivers for early and moderate stage AD patients and stress, measured using the Perceived Stress Scale10, and burden, measured using the Zarit Burden Interview. Lazarus's stress model, which suggests that the way people evaluate their environment leads to distress, was used as the theoretical framework for this quantitative study. Demographic, stress, and burden information was collected using surveys and analyzed through multiple regression. Study results showed that AD caregivers experienced caregiver burden at the moderate stage of the disease. Stage of the disease did not predict stress in this study. Gender was not predictive of either stress or burden. Study results may benefit the mental health community, and AD caregivers by providing specific information for AD caregivers about the impact of AD stage, their adjustment as caregivers. The social change implications include increased knowledge not only for caregivers, but also for those in the mental health community who support caregivers. This information may result in better preparation for caregivers, leading to better quality of care for individuals diagnosed with AD.