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 care...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Health Services |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frhs.2025.1598518/full |
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| author | Donald A. Godfrey Bob Wong Amber D. Thompson Max E. Coleman Catharine Sparks Rebecca L. Utz |
| author_facet | Donald A. Godfrey Bob Wong Amber D. Thompson Max E. Coleman Catharine Sparks Rebecca L. Utz |
| author_sort | Donald A. Godfrey |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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.
ObjectivesThe current study examines whether goal-oriented respite planning, facilitated by a mobile intervention, can improve caregivers' subjective experience of their respite time-use.MethodCaregivers (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.ResultsRespite 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.DiscussionEngaging 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-067940dc96054f5faa81b542e541cad7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2813-0146 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Health Services |
| spelling | doaj-art-067940dc96054f5faa81b542e541cad72025-08-20T03:34:30ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Health Services2813-01462025-07-01510.3389/frhs.2025.15985181598518Respite time-use among dementia caregiversDonald A. Godfrey0Bob Wong1Amber D. Thompson2Max E. Coleman3Catharine Sparks4Rebecca L. Utz5College of Social and Behavioral Science, Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United StatesCollege of Nursing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United StatesCollege of Social & Behavioral Science, Sociology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United StatesCollege of Social & Behavioral Science, Sociology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United StatesCollege of Health, Occupational & Recreational Therapy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United StatesCollege of Social & Behavioral Science, Sociology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United StatesCaregiving 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. ObjectivesThe current study examines whether goal-oriented respite planning, facilitated by a mobile intervention, can improve caregivers' subjective experience of their respite time-use.MethodCaregivers (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.ResultsRespite 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.DiscussionEngaging 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.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frhs.2025.1598518/fullcaregiver stressinterventiontechnologyfamily caregivingtime-use |
| spellingShingle | Donald A. Godfrey Bob Wong Amber D. Thompson Max E. Coleman Catharine Sparks Rebecca L. Utz Respite time-use among dementia caregivers Frontiers in Health Services caregiver stress intervention technology family caregiving time-use |
| title | Respite time-use among dementia caregivers |
| title_full | Respite time-use among dementia caregivers |
| title_fullStr | Respite time-use among dementia caregivers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Respite time-use among dementia caregivers |
| title_short | Respite time-use among dementia caregivers |
| title_sort | respite time use among dementia caregivers |
| topic | caregiver stress intervention technology family caregiving time-use |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frhs.2025.1598518/full |
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