New research by Kristin Litzelman (Wisconsin Center for Demography of Health and Aging, CDHA) and Victoria Fleming examining “Caregiver resource utilization: Intellectual and development disability and dementia” is out now in the Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities.
Fleming, V., & Litzelman, K. (2021). Caregiver resource utilization: Intellectual and development disability and dementia. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 00, 1– 9. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12889
Abstract
Background
Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families have high need for support services. This study assessed resource utilization among caregivers of intellectual and developmental disabilities and other conditions.
Methods
We assessed 366 caregivers of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, dementia or other conditions Regressions assessed group differences in number of agency contacts and frequency of service use. A secondary analysis assessed reasons for underutilization of services.
Results
Caregivers of individuals with dementia contacted twice as many agencies as other caregivers and were more likely to report using suggested services. Agency contact and service utilization were similar among caregivers of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities compared to other caregivers. Caregivers of adults with intellectual and developmental indicated that suggested services were unavailable to them.
Conclusion
The findings of this study shed light on challenges with access to and utilization of support services.
Dr. Litzelman’s interests center on how illness impacts families, primarily through the lens of family caregiving. Through her research, she seeks to learn how individuals influence and are influenced by their family and community, and how these factors translate into health or “un-health” over the short and long term. The end goal of her research is to improve outcomes for families facing health problems and disability.