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Peer-reviewedCC BYJournal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society

Disruptions in Support Networks of People Living with Dementia: Evidence from A National Study of Caregiver Networks

  • Melissa L. Harris-Gersten1
  • Esther M. Friedman2
  • James P. Murphy1
  • Allison Kirkegaard3
  • Sarah Edgington1
  • Daniela Golinelli1,4
  • Regina Shih1,5
  • David P. Kennedy3
5 affiliations
  1. 1RAND Corporation, 1776 Main St., M5S., Santa Monica, CA 90047-2138
  2. 2Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, 426 Thompson St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2321
  3. 3Independent researcher, Los Angeles CA
  4. 4Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, 418 Curie Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104
  5. 5Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd., Atlanta, GA 30303
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Abstract

BackgroundPeople living with dementia rely on informal support that may be especially vulnerable to social restrictions such as those imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.ObjectiveTo assess whether family and friends supporting adults with dementia were more likely to discontinue assistance during the pandemic than those supporting adults with other chronic conditions.MethodsUsing nationally representative data from 2,037 U.S. current caregivers reporting on 7,742 supporters within their care networks, multilevel logistic regression identified factors associated with discontinued support.ResultsTen percent of supporters withdrew help. Those assisting care recipients with dementia had higher odds of withdrawal (OR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.02-1.92). Supporters who were friends or distant relatives of the caregiver were more likely to withdraw than those who were close family, while strongly connected or dual-role supporters were less likely to withdraw (OR = 0.07, 95% CI 0.05-0.10). Higher caregiver income buffered against loss.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{harrisgersten2026disruptions,
  title = {{Disruptions in Support Networks of People Living with Dementia: Evidence from A National Study of Caregiver Networks}},
  author = {Melissa L. Harris-Gersten and Esther M. Friedman and James P. Murphy and Allison Kirkegaard and Sarah Edgington and Daniela Golinelli and Regina Shih and David P. Kennedy},
  journal = {Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.1177/07334648261504071},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648261504071},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Disruptions in Support Networks of People Living with Dementia: Evidence from A National Study of Caregiver Networks
AU  - Melissa L. Harris-Gersten
AU  - Esther M. Friedman
AU  - James P. Murphy
AU  - Allison Kirkegaard
AU  - Sarah Edgington
AU  - Daniela Golinelli
AU  - Regina Shih
AU  - David P. Kennedy
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/05
JO  - Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society
DO  - 10.1177/07334648261504071
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648261504071
AB  - BackgroundPeople living with dementia rely on informal support that may be especially vulnerable to social restrictions such as those imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.ObjectiveTo assess whether family and friends supporting adults with dementia were more likely to discontinue assistance during the pandemic than those supporting adults with other chronic conditions.MethodsUsing nationally representative data from 2,037 U.S. current caregivers reporting on 7,742 supporters within their care networks, multilevel logistic regression identified factors associated with discontinued support.ResultsTen percent of supporters withdrew help. Those assisting care recipients with dementia had higher odds of withdrawal (OR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.02-1.92). Supporters who were friends or distant relatives of the caregiver were more likely to withdraw than those who were close family, while strongly connected or dual-role supporters were less likely to withdraw (OR = 0.07, 95% CI 0.05-0.10). Higher caregiver income buffered against loss.
SN  - 0733-4648
SN  - 1552-4523
ER  -