Caregiver resource utilization: Intellectual and development disability and dementia

Area of Science:

• Disability Studies
• Caregiver Support Services
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families require substantial support services.
• Caregiver burden and resource needs are significant within this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess and compare resource utilization among caregivers of adults with IDD, dementia, and other conditions.
• To identify factors contributing to service underutilization by caregivers of adults with IDD.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 366 caregivers of adults with IDD, dementia, or other conditions.
• Regression analyses were used to compare agency contacts and service use frequency across groups.
• Secondary analysis explored reasons for underutilization of support services.

Main Results:

• Caregivers of individuals with dementia had higher agency contact rates and service use compared to other groups.
• Caregivers of adults with IDD showed similar agency contact and service utilization rates to other caregiver groups.
• A significant barrier identified was the unavailability of suggested support services for caregivers of adults with IDD.

Conclusions:

• This research highlights significant challenges in accessing and utilizing essential support services for caregivers of adults with IDD.
• Findings underscore the need for improved service availability and accessibility to better support this population.