Do nurse-led skill training interventions affect informal caregivers' out-of-pocket expenditures?

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Health Economics

Background:

• Family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) patients often incur significant out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses.
• Understanding the financial impact of caregiver support interventions is crucial for assessing their overall value and sustainability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the Assistance, Support, and Self-health Initiated through Skill Training (ASSIST) randomized control trial on the out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for family caregivers of AD and PD patients.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of ASSIST randomized control trial data.
• Utilized 2-part expenditure models to calculate the average treatment effect of the ASSIST intervention on caregiver OOP expenditures.
• Data collected from 2002-2007 at sites in Durham, North Carolina, and Birmingham, Alabama.

Main Results:

• ASSIST-trained caregivers reported average monthly OOP expenditures between $500-$600.
• The intervention increased the probability of caregivers incurring any OOP expenses by 26 percentage points compared to usual care.
• No significant increase in overall OOP costs was observed due to the intervention.

Conclusions:

• The ASSIST intervention proved effective and financially inexpensive for caregivers in terms of direct monetary outlays.
• The trial demonstrated minimal unintended financial consequences on the well-being of family caregivers.
• The findings support the cost-effectiveness of the ASSIST program for caregiver support.