Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Public Health
• Sociology of Health and Illness
• Health Services Research

Background:

• The global population is aging, increasing the prevalence of dementia and the need for caregiver support services.
• Research on service utilization by family caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD) is limited, particularly across diverse racial and ethnic groups.
• Understanding service utilization disparities is crucial for developing equitable dementia care strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the utilization of dementia/Alzheimer's services among Korean, Vietnamese, and non-Hispanic White caregivers for PWD in California.
• To identify potential racial and ethnic disparities in accessing dementia care resources.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of 179 participants from the Dementia Family Caregiver Study.
• Binomial logistic regression used to assess the association between race and service utilization (in-home support, adult day care, support groups).
• Covariates included caregiver sociodemographics, caregiver characteristics, and PWD-related factors.

Main Results:

• Korean and Vietnamese caregivers were less likely to use in-home support and adult day care compared to non-Hispanic White caregivers.
• Korean caregivers utilized support groups less, while Vietnamese caregivers utilized them more, than non-Hispanic Whites.
• Caregivers were, on average, 66.9 years old, predominantly female, and college-educated across all groups.

Conclusions:

• Significant disparities exist in dementia care service utilization among Korean, Vietnamese, and non-Hispanic White caregivers.
• Underutilization may stem from language barriers and a lack of culturally tailored services.
• Further research is essential to address these disparities and improve culturally competent dementia care provision.