Abstract
Family caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD) face particular challenges in rural areas. Using a multi-method approach, we investigated the relationship between home- and community-based services and measures of caregiver efficacy, community service attitudes, and loneliness among 39 family caregivers of PWD living in Appalachian Virginia. We grouped caregivers according to PWDs’ ADL/IADL limitations and memory/behavioral problems and used ANOVAs to explore the types of services they used. For caregivers not using services (41%), we examined the barriers to services they faced. The most commonly used service was respite care (23%); caregivers of PWD with high ADL/IADL limitations were more likely to use respite (p=0.04), regardless of the memory/behavioral problems. Caregivers who expressed a more positive attitude toward services (p=0.09) and greater loneliness (p=0.07) tended to use respite services. Discussion focuses on the multiple benefits of service use, barriers to service use, and implications of service accessibility for rural caregivers.