Respite time-use among dementia caregivers

Caregiving for family members with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) places significant burden on family members, leaving them at risk for a variety of mental and physical issues. While engaging in sufficient respite is generally considered an important resiliency factor for caregivers, recent research has demonstrated that caregivers are not satisfied with their respite and are not gaining much benefit during the limited respite time available to them.

The current study examines whether goal-oriented respite planning, facilitated by a mobile intervention, can improve caregivers' subjective experience of their respite time-use.

Caregivers (N = 85) used a mobile intervention to help them plan and evaluate their weekly respite time-use. Ecological Momentary assessments (weekly) monitored number of respite hours, respite goal achievement, and subjective assessment of their respite experience.

Respite goal achievement on a given week predicted improvements in participants' ratings of their respite time-use outcomes one week later. Specifically, one week after reporting improved respite goal achievement, caregivers' ratings on happiness with their respite activities, feeling that their respite made them a better caregiver, and feeling like they had enough respite all increased. These effects were independent of the number of respite hours they reported per week.

Engaging in weekly goal-setting and goal-review activities is associated with caregivers' subjective evaluation of their respite time-use. Interventions that help caregivers implement goal setting and achievement into their daily lives would likely benefit subjective evaluations and experiences with respite.