Fatigue among elders in caregiving and noncaregiving roles

Fatigue is a complex symptom prevalent in informal caregiving. When role de mands exceed caregiver resources, fatigue ensues and caregiving can be comp romised. The purpose of this study war to compare perceptions of fatigue am ong older adults (N = 92) caring for spouses with Alzheimer's disease, Park inson's disease, or cancer with a control group of older adults (N = 33) wh ose spouses required no extra care. Caregiving elders reported more fatigue , less energy, and more sleep difficulty than did control participants. All caregiving groups reported similar levels of fatigue energy, sleep and sel f-reported health even though there were marked differences regarding spous al status. Health care providers can support older caregivers in monitoring their own health and in recognizing the need for services that support the caregiving role.