Faith-Based Support for Alzheimer's Family Caregivers in Madison County, Alabama

Faith-Based Support for Alzheimer’s Family Caregivers in Madison County, Alabama by Meredith Alexander Lewis MSW, Savannah State University, 2004 BA, Alabama A & M University, 2002 Dissertation Submitted in Complete Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy Administration Walden University May 2019 Abstract Alzheimer’s disease, the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, is incurable. Because of the extensive long-term care required for patients with Alzheimer’s, the typical caregiver is often a middle-aged family member with his or her own health problems. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to determine the extent to which there was a difference in the perception of quality of life betweenAlzheimer’s disease, the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, is incurable. Because of the extensive long-term care required for patients with Alzheimer’s, the typical caregiver is often a middle-aged family member with his or her own health problems. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to determine the extent to which there was a difference in the perception of quality of life between Alzheimer’s family caregivers who receive tangible faith-based support compared to the Alzheimer’s family caregivers who receive no social support. The theoretical basis was social support theory, which suggests that support buffers stress. The sample population consisted of Alzheimer’s family caregivers (n= 42) recruited through local organizations in a southern state, over a 3-month period. Faith-based support or no social support was the independent variable of dichotomous value, and perceived quality of life was the dependent variable measured by an ordinal scale. Perception of quality of life was determine using the World Health Quality of Life BREF-Survey Questionnaire. Five independent t-tests were used for statistical analysis. The study results showed the perception of physical health improved perception of quality of life when using faithbased support while the quality of life and general health, social relationships, psychological health, and environmental health null hypotheses were retained. This research contributed to positive social change by helping public policy administrators identify the impact of faith-based support on Alzheimer's family caregivers. Faith-Based Support for Alzheimer’s Family Caregivers in Madison County, Alabama by Meredith Alexander Lewis MSW, Savannah State University, 2004 BA, Alabama A & M University, 2002 Dissertation Submitted in Complete Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy Administration Walden University May 2019 Dedication I dedicate this dissertation to my parents Kenneth and Mary Alexander. To my mother who taught me at an early age, there is no such word as you can’t complete a goal. To my father who always encourages me by saying Money, you can do it. Mathais, my brother, who cheered me on when focusing on my goals. To my husband, Reginald who motivated me throughout this journey. And to my sons, Randall and Reid, who keeps me humble every day. Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge Dr. Olivia Yu, who helped me complete this journey. Her wisdom and expertise have helped me grow and become a better scholar and critical thinker. I appreciate Dr. Lee for assisting me with having the greatest outcome of proving my hypotheses. I am grateful for Dr. Amanda Deerfield who provided feedback to finalize my dissertation.