Caregiver Role Model

Reinhard, Given, Petlick, and Bemis (2008) view informal elder caregivers as secondary patients or caregivers-as-clients who also need a refuge and support due to the degree, intensity and the time given to their care recipients. Consequently, as the 65 and older adult population grows, increased longevity and chronic illnesses will create additional demands for their families (NIA, 2016), especially Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia, which will have the greatest impact on African American and Hispanic communities (Alzheimer’s Association, 2016). Bookman and Kimbrel (2011) contend that cultural strengths and demands of the informal elder caregiving experience of African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American communities, and other groups, should be taken into consideration, as well as socioeconomic status.
Caregiver Roles. Anderson and Turner (2010) contend the West African legacy of strong kinship bonds combined with the …show more content…
Their study reveals the African American practice of turning to family and fictive kin (nonrelatives, such as friends and neighbors), as an informal source of eldercare, roots run deep (Anderson & Turner, 2010). The African American informal eldercare structure has traditionally been collectivist and consists of varying caregiver configurations and caregiver levels (Apesoa-Varano et al, 2015); (Dilworth-Anderson,