Comparing patterns of stress in daily experiences of elderly caregivers and noncaregivers.

A daily experience survey instrument was used to distinguish patterns of stress in a group of elderly individuals providing home care to a spouse or parent with Alzheimer's disease and a comparison group of elderly noncaregivers. It was found that life circumstances influenced stress perception in daily life. Caregivers and noncaregivers differed in the types of experiences they endorsed as routines, uplifts, challenges, and hassles, and in the impact ratings associated with them in consistent and interpretable ways.