Table 1.
Characteristics of Informal Hospice Caregivers
| Characteristic | Southeast (n = 134) |
Midwest (n = 139) |
Northwest (n = 160) |
Total (N = 433) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, mean (SD) | 61.8 (12.0) | 60.1 (13.1) | 60.6 (12.2) | 60.8 (12.4) |
| Female, % | 80.6 | 73.4 | 77.5 | 77.1 |
| White, % | 90.3 | 94.2 | 90.0 | 91.5 |
| Relationship to patient, % | ||||
| Adult Child | 46.3 | 52.5 | 53.1 | 50.8 |
| Spouse or Partner | 33.6 | 24.5 | 33.8 | 30.7 |
| Other | 20.2 | 23.0 | 13.1 | 18.5 |
| Lives with Patient, % | 62.7 | 46.8 | 52.5 | 53.8 |
| Employeda, % | 23.1 | 41.0 | 45.0 | 37.0 |
| Caregiving > 20 hr/wk, % | 74.6 | – | 56.3 | |
| Caregiving > 1 yr, % | 57.9 | – | 70.6 | |
| Quality of Life, mean (SD)b | ||||
| Physical | 6.9 (2.1) | 6.9 (2.3) | 7.1 (2.2) | 7.0 (2.2) |
| Social | – | 6.9 (2.8) | 8.0 (2.3) | |
| Emotional | – | 7.2 (2.2) | 7.3 (2.2) | |
| Financial | – | 6.4 (3.1) | 7.0 (2.6) |
Note. Measures of amount of care provided, duration of caregiving, and quality of life were not collected at all sites. All site comparisons p > .05 except for employed (p < .001), caregiving > 20 hr/wk (p = .001), caregiving > 1 yr (p = .023), and social quality of life (p < .001).
a
Employed full or part-time vs. not employed.
b
Higher scores indicate better quality of life.