Caregiving and the Experience of Subjective and Objective Burden.

The investigators of this project examined the relationships between caregiving experience and subjective and objective burden. Interviews were conducted with 80 people caring for, or assisting, an elderly relative. The findings indicate that different factors are related to subjective burden than are related to objective burden. The age and income of the caregiver were found to be the best predictors of subjective burden. Caregiving tasks that confine the caregiver either temporally or geographically were found to be the best predictors of objective burden. It was concluded that the level of objective burden could best be reduced through the introduction of personal aid services, supportive equipment that enables greater self-care, and respite services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]