When do korean-american dementia caregivers find meaning in caregiving? The role of culture and differences between spouse and child caregivers

This study examines the role of culture in Korean-American dementia caregivers' finding meaning in caregiving and compares a group of spouse caregivers with a group of child (including in-law) caregivers. Sixty-five Korean-American dementia caregivers were included in the analyses. The most predictive variable of Korean-American dementia caregivers' finding meaning in caregiving was social support. When spouse caregivers were separated out from child caregivers, social support and income emerged as the best predictors of spouses finding meaning in caregiving. Overall results revealed that Korean-American child caregivers found more meaning in dementia caregiving than did spouse caregivers. Implications for social work practitioners, policymakers, and researchers are provided.