Abstract
Family caregivers’ represent the backbone of support to older adults who have a chronic condition such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Given the changes in the health care environment and in family structures and dynamics, it is important to understand the current demands on caregivers and how these vary with the context of caregiving. This paper will present comparison data from the Miami site of the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health (Reach) II trial and our on-going trial, Caring for the Caregiver Network. The trials were conducted with family caregivers of AD patients in the same geographic area two decades apart, had similar eligibility criteria and used similar recruitment strategies. We use baseline data for the two studies to compare and contrast caregivers who join an intervention trial separated by two decades, the nature of the caregiving challenges they confront, areas of need, and magnitude of stress and burden. We discuss secular changes in health, social service systems, and public awareness of AD and caregiving that might account for observed differences.