An inquiry into Latino caregivers' experience caring for older adults with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias

The literature on the experiences of Latino caregivers of older adults with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD) is scarce. Shedding light on ethnocultural influences may facilitate providing more culturally appropriate services. The purpose of this study is to explore Latino caregivers' cultural explanatory models of caring for an older adult with ADRD. Seven focus groups are conducted with 33 Spanish-speaking Latino caregivers in three U.S. states: Florida, Colorado, and Minnesota. Standardized focus group interviews are audio taped, transcribed, translated into English, and systematically examined using grounded theory techniques. The qualitative findings answer three primary research questions about (a) the meanings of caregiving and caregiver self-definitions, (b) overall experience of Latino caregivers, and (c) caregivers' understanding of ADRD and the skills needed to manage the disease. The experience of Latino caregivers is described for each of the research questions, followed by a discussion in the context of the existent literature.