Nutrition education may reduce burden in family caregivers of older adults.
The chronic, demanding nature of family caregiving for frail older adults creates a high degree of stress for caregivers, called caregiver burden. Caregiver burden compromises caregivers' emotional and physical health and health-promoting behaviors. Deterioration in caregivers' health and nutritional status may put caregivers at risk for chronic disease, diminish the ability of caregivers to provide care, and impair the quality of life experienced by caregivers and care recipients. Nutrition education may help reduce caregiver stress and maintain caregivers' health and well-being. Mediating caregiver stress may allow family caregivers to meet their societal role, which has intensified because of health care cost containment.
Silver
Heidi J
HJ
National Policy and Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, USA. silverhj@fiu.edu
Wellman
Nancy S
NS
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014481:United States