This pilot study will look at the relationship between a caregiver s perceived health and the presence or absence of social networks and social supports. The study will look at whether the presence of social supports and networks appear to be the buffer between stress and perceived health problems. The aim of this pilot will be, using caregiver s physical and mental health as the dependent variable, to determine how the quantity and quality of social networks and social supports effect physical and mental health.
Elder care is one of the most important social and public health issues in the United States.
Thus there is, and will continue to be, a need for caregivers. The caregiver may be experiencing stress detrimental to health and mental health which could lead to inability to continue care or result in feelings of anger and resentment. Results of the study should help health care providers to better understand caregivers and to suggest needed interventions to lessen stress. Caregivers are defined in this project as adults who have assumed primary responsibility for the care of an adult. There are approximately 40 million American women presently in or past menopause and an additional 20 million women who will reach it within the next ten years.