Correlates of caregiver strain in home health care.

Family caregivers (N = 183) caring for persons admitted to home health care agencies in Washington State were interviewed regarding their perceived caregiver strain. Perceived subjective strain was found to be significantly related to factors beyond home health care agency control such as age of the caregiver, sex of the care receiver, and the caregiver's health. Objective strain, however, was significantly related to factors such as the care receiver's functional status, types of tasks with which they require help, the number of caregiver hours spent performing these tasks, and the number of days the care receiver spends in bed. It is hypothesized that agencies can reduce perceived objective strain by improving patients' functional independence through nursing and therapy visits.