Caregiver burden and the continuum of care: a longitudinal perspective

This article integrates the results of a series of prospective studies that used data from the 1982-1984 National Long Term Care Survey to (a) provide a comprehensive view of the effects of caregiver burden over a two-year period, (b) suggest ways in which caregiver burden intersects with the continuum of care, and (c) explore the implications for long-term care research and policy. Each dimension of caregiver burden had different consequences for each long-term care outcome. Neither personal nor interpersonal burden had an independent effect on changes in the informal task support network. Personal burden, but not interpersonal burden, influenced changes in the use of formal services. Interpersonal burden, but not personal burden, influenced nursing home admissions.