Ethnicity and time to institutionalization of dementia patients: a comparison of Latina and Caucasian female family caregivers.
OBJECTIVE
To compare rates of institutionalization of dementia patients cared for by Latina and Caucasian female caregivers and to explore which caregiver and care-recipient characteristics predicted institutionalization.


METHODS
Longitudinal.


METHODS
San Francisco Bay area, California.


METHODS
Two hundred sixty-four female caregivers of dementia patients (154 Caucasian women, 110 Latinas) who participated in an intervention project designed to reduce caregiver stress and may represent a sample that is more stressed and motivated than a general sample of caregivers.


METHODS
Number of days between baseline interview and institutionalization was recorded over an 18-month period. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with the log rank statistic was used to test for ethnic differences in time to institutionalization. Cox regression analyses were conducted to determine whether care-recipient or caregiver characteristics (e.g., care-recipient age and memory and behavior problems; caregiver depression, years of education, income, and views of the caregiving role) significantly interacted with ethnicity to explain time to institutionalization.


RESULTS
Latinas delayed institutionalization significantly longer than their Caucasian counterparts; care-recipient characteristics or caregiver demographics did not explain these results, although Latinas who identified greater benefits or more-positive aspects of the caregiving process at baseline were less likely to institutionalize their loved one than those who reported fewer benefits of caregiving. Less-acculturated Latinas were significantly more likely to identify positive aspects of caregiving than more-acculturated Latinas.


CONCLUSIONS
Latina dementia caregivers delay institutionalization significantly longer than female Caucasian caregivers. In addition, Latino cultural values and positive views of the caregiving role are important factors that may significantly influence their decision to institutionalize loved ones with dementia.
Mausbach
Brent T
BT
Older Adult and Family Center, Stanford University School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, USA. mausbach@stanford.edu
Coon
David W
DW
Depp
Colin
C
Rabinowitz
Yaron G
YG
Wilson-Arias
Esther
E
Kraemer
Helena C
HC
Thompson
Larry W
LW
Lane
Geoffrey
G
Gallagher-Thompson
Dolores
D
D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003704:Dementia / Q000208:ethnology / Q000451:nursing*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D013997:Time Factors; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*