Social support for spouse caregivers of persons with dementia

Objectives. This study analyzes the value of simultaneously taking helper and caregiver characteristics into account when examining social support received by spouse caregivers of persons with dementia. This study questions whether sources and types of received support vary by the gender and relationship of the helper and/or by the caregiver's race and gender. Methods. Drawing on a sample of 210 spouse caregivers of persons with dementia, the Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) method was used to estimate a population-average logistic regression model to address cross- level helper and caregiver interactions. Results. Results indicate that helper and caregiver characteristics interact in complex ways. White male caregivers are more likely to receive emotional support from adult children and to receive practical assistance from formal sources compared with other types of support and to other race-gender caregiver groups. Discussion. Description of social status characteristics of caregivers as determinants of their social network may be less fruitful in understanding the benefits of social support than a focus on which helpers assist with what kinds of task for which groups of caregivers.