Institutionalizing Dementia Victims:

The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with caregivers' perceived likelihood of institutionalizing dementia victims. Forty-five primary caregivers of noninstitutionalized victims completed questionnaires dealing with sociodemographic characteristics of the victim and caregiver, the level of impairment and several variables related to the caregiving situation. Most of the caregivers were spouses (64%), females (62%) and their mean age was 64.5 years. The statistical analyses revealed that anticipated institutionalization was greater if the victims were older, their impairment had progressed rapidly and rendered them more dysfunctional. Likelihood of institutionalization also was greater if the caregivers were not the victims' spouses, the caregivers experienced more burden, and if the victims' relationship with the caregivers was less close. The qualitative data identified two paradoxical aspects of the caretakers' subjective experiences a love-hate conflict and premature versus delayed institutionalization. Recommendations for future research include longitudinal studies and a broader range of variables related to the effects of caregiving.