Resources for Psychologists

Alzheimer’s and Dementia 

• Implementing a Community-based Program for Dementia Caregivers: an Action Guide using Reach Outopens in new window (PDF, 7.30MB)
  Evidence-based caregiver support system designed to promote the well-being of persons with dementia. From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and University of Michigan Institute of Gerontology. 

Cultural Competency 

• Caring for Caregivers
  Explains why the issues and interventions are different for racial and ethnic minority caregivers. From the American Psychological Association. 

Mental Health 

• Caregivers as Partners and Clients of Behavioral Health Servicesopens in new window  (PDF, 2.1MB)
  Includes the role of caregivers in caring for older adults with behavioral health problems, explores the mental health impact that the caregiving role has on lives of caregivers themselves, and evidence-based programs and resources, that address the behavioral health needs of caregivers. Developed by the Behavioral Health Older Americans Technical Assistance Center through funding from SAMHSA, in collaboration with U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA).
• Catalog of Clinical Training Opportunities: Best Practices for Recovery and Improved Outcomes for People with Serious Mental Illnessopens in new window (PDF, 533KB)
  Includes specific interventions, organized by type. Also lists individuals to contact for more information. From the APA.
• Mental Health Needs of Family Caregivers: Identifying, Engaging and Assistingopens in new window (PDF, 2.2MB)
  Includes: (1) strategies to identify and engage family caregivers, to overcome reluctance to utilize services, and to refer to mental health services when needed; (2) effective interventions in addressing caregiver stress and burden, and (3) an overview of the wealth of resources available in the APA’s Family Caregivers Briefcase. Cosponsored by AoA and APA.

Practitioners 

• Assuring Healthy Caregivers, A Public Health Approach to Translating Research into Practice: The RE-AIM Frameworkopens in new window
  How the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM) Framework can facilitate successful translation efforts and make a positive difference in the lives of caregivers. From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Caregivers Count Too! Toolkitopens in new window
  An online toolkit to help practitioners assess the needs of family caregivers. From the Family Caregiver Alliance.
• Guide for Health Care Providersopens in new window
  United Hospital Fund guides for health care providers to better understand the family caregiver perspective.
• Resources for Caregivingopens in new window
  List compiled by Ken Pope, PhD, ABPP, includes information for both caregivers and the clinicians who work with them to find support.
• Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivingopens in new window  
  The Caregiver Intervention Database contains descriptions of empirically validated caregiver support programs, implementation tools and guides, and caregiver resources. 

Alzheimer's and Dementia 

• A Systematic Evidence Review of Interventions for Non-professional Caregivers of Individuals with Dementia Department of Veterans Affairsopens in new window
  Report reviews the effects of caregiver interventions on caregiver burden, mood (including depression and anxiety) and ability to manage problematic behavior, as well as the effects on the care recipient.
• Caregiving Costs: Declining Health in the Alzheimer's Caregiveropens in new window (PDF, 2.45MB)
  Examines the use of formal health care services in a large sample of Alzheimer’s disease caregivers who were providing care for moderately to severely impaired patients at home. 

Costs and Data Trends

• The Opportunity Costs of Informal Eldercare in the United Statesopens in new window
  Rand Corporation estimates of the opportunity costs of informal elder-care in the United States.

Family Caregiving

• Integrating the Patient and Caregiver Voice into Serious Illness Careopens in new window
  Summary of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine public workshop "Integrating the Patient and Caregiver Voice into Serious Illness Care". This workshop was designed specifically to bring together diverse personal perspectives and experiences about priorities and values that are important to patients and families coping with serious illness, and to consider solutions that support integration of these priorities and values in practice.
• Valuing the Invaluable: 2015 Updateopens in new window  (PDF, 597KB)
  AARP Public Policy Institute analysis of national and individual state estimates of the economic value of family care.
• Assessing Family Caregiving Needs: Policy and Practice Considerationsopens in new window (PDF, 247.36KB)
  AARP emphasizes review of care issues from the caregiver’s viewpoint and culture and outlines fundamental principles for assessment.
• Catalyzing Technology to Support Family Caregivingopens in new window
  Summary of recommendations given by an expert roundtable convened in April 2014 to explore how technology can help family members care for elders or younger relatives with disabilities.
• Employed Family Caregivers Providing Complex Chronic Careopens in new window (PDF, 1.51MB)
  Overview of employed caregivers, organized by demographic, relationship with care recipient, difficulty of medical nursing tasks, stress levels and other factors.
• Family Caregivers Providing Complex Chronic Care to their Spousesopens in new window (PDF, 426KB)
  Assessment of spousal caregivers who perform complex medical/nursing tasks. From the AARP/United Hospital Fund. 

LGBT 

• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Aging
  List of resources compiled by the APA's Office on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity.

Veterans 

• Caregivers of Veterans – Serving on the Home Frontopens in new window (PDF, 2.46MB)
  Provides information for policymakers and organizations to better target programs at caregivers of veterans. From the National Alliance for Caregiving.
• Social Policy Report – Military and Veteran Families and Children: Policies and Programs for Health Maintenance and Positive Developmentopens in new window (PDF, 298KB)
  Summarizes what is currently known about our nation’s military children and families and presents ideas for new programs and policies.

Alzheimer's disease

• Alzheimer Caregiver Video Seriesopens in new window
  Caregiver Action Network videos on discovering Alzheimer’s disease, life as a caregiver and other ways to find support.
• Treating Alzheimer’s disease through Caregiving Family Therapy
  Video explores how caregiver Family Therapy assists families with recognizing, interpreting and taking action to address symptoms of growing cognitive impairment while continuing to meet the needs of multiple family members.

Family Caregiving

• Caregiving  
  In this session, Tim Elliott, PhD, works with a 32-year-old single mother of four whose eldest son has cerebral palsy. From the APA. 
• Family Therapy With Patients Having Physical Health Problems
  In this APA video, Susan H. McDaniel, PhD, works with a 60-year-old woman with symptoms of depression and meets with the client’s husband and son to help them to deal with the diagnosis.
• Parenting Our Elderly Parents
  This APA video portrays the challenges of therapy with caregivers of aging parents. It involves the family system, parental relationships, changing power dynamics between parents and children, and coping with cognitive and physical decline in loved ones.

Self-care

• A Guide to Taking Care of Yourselfopens in new window
  Family Caregiver Alliance guide includes tips for getting support, dealing with feelings of guilt, setting limits, physical and emotional health and getting educated about illnesses.
• Caregiver Stress Quiz: Stressed or Strained?opens in new window
  AARP quiz measures caregiver feelings of helplessness, burn out, anxiousness and other negative emotions.

Caregiving Issues

• The Caregiver Journey—Pathways to an Authentic and Fulfilling Lifeopens in new window
  Well Spouse Association article covers the three progressive stages of a caregiver’s life: heroic, ambivalence and adjustment to the new normal.