Stressors and Resources Related to Medication Management: Associations With Spousal Caregivers’ Role Overload
Open accessAbstract
Background and Objectives: Managing medications can be stressful for spousal caregivers, but little is known about particular aspects of medication management that are most consequential for caregiving outcomes. We examined care stressors and resources related to medication management, their associations with role overload among spousal caregivers, and whether these links vary by care recipients’ number of chronic health conditions and dementia status. Research Design and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 377 spousal caregivers of adults aged 65 and older from the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study and National Study of Caregiving. Linear regressions were estimated to evaluate how medication-related stressors (ordering medication, keeping track of medications, giving injections) and resources (medication reminder systems, shared medication management within the spousal dyad) are associated with caregivers’ role overload. Care recipients’ number of chronic health conditions and dementia status were considered as moderators. Models controlled for caregivers’ sociodemographic characteristics, chronic health conditions, and other care tasks. Results: Caregivers who administered injections reported more role overload, whereas those who worked with care recipients to jointly manage medications reported less role overload. Keeping track of medications was linked to caregivers’ greater role overload when care recipients had 5 or more chronic health conditions. Finally, care recipients’ use of medication reminder systems was linked to less role overload for caregivers of a partner with dementia. Discussion and Implications: Devising strategies to assist spousal caregivers in the more onerous components of medication management and promote resources that mitigate medication-related stress may improve caregiver well-being.
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Dementia caregivers often lack the information or resources needed to manage complex medication regimens.
“Dementia caregivers often lack the information or resources necessary to manage complex medication regimens.[491][492][493][494]”
From 2023 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures (2023) · cites this paper as [493]
The paper’s introductory passage (indexed under Abstract; page not supplied) says medication management can be particularly challenging for spouses caring for someone with dementia or multiple chronic conditions. The Discussion links reminder-system use to lower overload among spouses caring for a partner with dementia. Neither passage establishes that dementia caregivers often lack the information or resources needed to manage medications. (LLM, conf=0.83)
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Polenick, C. A., Stanz, S. D., Leggett, A. N., Maust, D. T., Hodgson, N. A., & Kales, H. C.
- Affiliations
- University of Michigan (US)
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Corresponding author
- Polenick, Courtney A
- Venue
- The Gerontologist
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2018-10-24
- Volume
- 60
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 165-173
- ISSN
- 0016-9013 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-5341
- PMC
- PMC7182007
- OpenAlex
- W2898366249
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2
- FWCI
- 3.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model (vor)
- Locations
- The Gerontologist (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (T32 MH073553-11)
- National Institute on Aging (K01AG056557, NIA U01AG032947)
- National Health and Aging Trends Study
- National Study of Caregiving
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Nursing care and research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Geriatric Care and Nursing Homes
- Keywords
- spousal caregivers, role overload, medication management, caregiver stress, medication reminders, injection administration, chronic disease, dementia, older adults, caregiver well-being
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cross-Sectional Studies, Dementia, Female, Humans, Male, Caregivers, Spouses, Medication Adherence
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