In one study, almost half of the population who are 85 years and older have Alzheimer s, and persons in that age group constitute the fastest growing segment of our population. The proportion of people available to become family caregivers is shrinking worldwide as women continue to join the work force. If current trends continue, there will be far fewer caregivers willing and able to care for the increasing number of demented relatives at home. In January 1999, President William Jefferson Clinton indicated his concern for caregivers by proposing, a new initiative to support the efforts of family caregivers as part of the President s Fiscal Year 2000 budget. Interventions to Help Families To delay institutionalization, it is essential to identify and analyze effective caregiver intervention programs.
Some caregivers welcome and can participate in group interventions.
Others need more individualized approaches. They found that the intervention resulted, on average compared to controls, in nearly a year's delay in the institutionalization of the person with dementia. We would like to hear about excellent group interventions that could serve as models, even though that is not the focus of our study. Programs may be based in academia, with a research focus, or in community agencies, clinics, or managed care settings.