Center for Excellence in Assisted Living CEAL@UNC

Advancing the well-being of the people who live and work in assisted living through research, practice, and policy.

Alzheimers & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions

A New Measure of Professional Caregiver Coping in Long-Term Care: The LTC COPE

Dec 1, 2024
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: This study developed a new measure for how professional caregivers cope with stress. Data was collected from 391 caregivers in 13 long-term care communities across 3 states using the Long-Term Care Cope instrument. Coping strategies were found to be highly individual with many reporting using multiple strategies. Further testing of the scale is needed to understand and narrow the items in the subcomponents.

A New Measure of Professional Caregiver Coping in Long-Term Care: The LTC COPE

by Lea Efird-Green

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: This study developed a new measure for how professional caregivers cope with stress. Data was collected from 391 caregivers in 13 long-term care communities across 3 states using the Long-Term Care Cope instrument. Coping strategies were found to be highly individual with many reporting using multiple strategies. Further testing of the scale is needed to understand and narrow the items in the subcomponents.

Stress-Related Coping and its Relationship to Well-Being in Nursing Assistants and Personal Care Aides in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living

Dec 1, 2024
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: This cross-sectional study used questionnaire data from 391 professional caregivers from 13 facilities in 3 states to examine coping and its relationship with demographic characteristics of direct caregivers in long-term care. Older staff used adaptive psychological strategies more than younger staff, and traditionally minoritized staff used more adaptive and less maladaptive psychological strategies than white staff. Using avoidance and maladaptive coping strategies was associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms, as well as burnout. Professional caregivers use a variety of coping mechanisms, and training on adaptive coping could improve outcomes for this population.

Stress-Related Coping and its Relationship to Well-Being in Nursing Assistants and Personal Care Aides in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living

by Lea Efird-Green

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: This cross-sectional study used questionnaire data from 391 professional caregivers from 13 facilities in 3 states to examine coping and its relationship with demographic characteristics of direct caregivers in long-term care. Older staff used adaptive psychological strategies more than younger staff, and traditionally minoritized staff used more adaptive and less maladaptive psychological strategies than white staff. Using avoidance and maladaptive coping strategies was associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms, as well as burnout. Professional caregivers use a variety of coping mechanisms, and training on adaptive coping could improve outcomes for this population.