Perceived Religious Social Support in Faith Communities for Caregivers of Persons Living with Dementia.

Abstract

As the U.S. population continues to age, increasing the prevalence of persons impacted by dementia in the community, faith communities are challenged to address the growing needs of their members. However, research has not looked specifically at the effects of religious social support on caregivers for persons living with dementia experiencing burden. This study aimed to address this gap by utilizing an exploratory, cross-sectional design to survey U.S. caregivers of persons living with dementia who expressed faith to be an important aspect of their life (n = 158). This study found that religious social support is a significant predictor of reducing burden among caregivers.