CAREGIVER NETWORK ROLES AND HEALTH AND WELL-BEING AMONG LATINO OLDER ADULTS

Q: What caregiver network roles does the study examine?

The study defines care helpers, care disruptors, and personal helpers. These roles describe who supports or hinders caregiving and who offers personal support without directly providing care.

Q: How are kin related to the caregiver network roles?

Kin comprise most roles: 80% of care helpers, 84% of care disruptors, and 87% of personal helpers.

Q: What effects do care helpers and care disruptors have on caregiver wellbeing?

Care helpers are associated with decreased feelings of loneliness, while care disruptors significantly increase loneliness. Higher proportions of kin in care-disruptor roles further increase loneliness and depression.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Mary Man

Prior research links caregiving to adverse health outcomes, particularly when caregivers support people with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. This study uses data from a new nationally representative survey of 733 Latino caregivers to assess how distinct caregiver-network roles affect health and wellbeing. Roles include care helpers, care disruptors, and personal helpers. Kin dominate most roles, and care helpers are associated with reduced loneliness, while care disruptors increase loneliness and, as kin share rises, also increase loneliness and depression.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Study aims and data

Network roles and composition

Key associations with loneliness, depression, and health

1270 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 SESSION 9005 (PAPER) LATE BREAKING: ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, INCLUDING ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE—RELATED DEMENTIAS II Abstract citation ID: igaf122.4241 CAREGIVER NETWORK ROLES AND HEALTH AND WELL-BEING AMONG LATINO OLDER ADULTS Nell Compernolle1, Ellen Bloss1, Emily Bray1, Alan Tiburcio2, Melissa Howe1, and Lissette Piedra3, 1. NORC at the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States, 2. NORC, Chicago, Illinois, United States, 3. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States Prior research links caregiving to adverse health outcomes, especially when caregivers support individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. Importantly, studies show that diverse caregiving networks that include kin and non-kin are associated with lower caregiver burden and improved health. Using data from a new, nationally representative survey of (n = 733) Latino caregivers, we explore how specific network roles within caregiver networks impact caregiver health and wellbeing. We examine the social contexts of informal caregiving in the United States, focusing on the wellbeing of Latino caregivers of older adults. We define distinct roles within caregiver networks: care helpers (individuals who assist the caregiver in providing care), care disruptors (who hinder/complicate caregiving), and personal helpers (who support the caregiver personally, but not with caregiving). Preliminary findings indicate that kin comprise most roles-80% of care helpers, 84% of care disruptors, and 87% of personal helpers. Caregivers with care helpers in their network report decreased feelings of loneliness (OR = 0.84, SE = 0.08, p < 0.10), while care disruptors significantly increase loneliness (OR = 1.62, SE= 0.44, p< 0.10) . As the proportion of kin in care disruptor roles increases, caregivers experience even greater loneliness (OR = 1.68, SE= 0.45, p< 0.10) and depression (OR = 1.68, SE= 0.44, p< 0.05). Caregivers with personal helpers report slightly increased loneliness, depression and lower self-rated health, but results were not significant. Caregivers of individuals with ADRD reported higher loneliness (OR = 1.32, SE = 0.22, p < 0.10, depression (OR = 1.40, SE = 0.23, p < 0.05), Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 1271 and poorer health (OR = 1.91, SE = 0.31, p < 0.001) . This study builds on frameworks situating caregiving within broader social networks by examining specific roles within Latino caregiver networks.

FAQs

What caregiver network roles does the study examine?

The study defines care helpers, care disruptors, and personal helpers. These roles describe who supports or hinders caregiving and who offers personal support without directly providing care.

How are kin related to the caregiver network roles?

Kin comprise most roles: 80% of care helpers, 84% of care disruptors, and 87% of personal helpers.

What effects do care helpers and care disruptors have on caregiver wellbeing?

Care helpers are associated with decreased feelings of loneliness, while care disruptors significantly increase loneliness. Higher proportions of kin in care-disruptor roles further increase loneliness and depression.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Mary Man