The Experiences and Challenges of Informal Caregivers: *

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Despite the escalating need for informal (unpaid) caregiving with an aging population, minimal attention has been given to the issue of caregiving in ethnic minorities, especially in Asians. The primary objective of this study is to describe caregiving experiences of Korean Americans, one of the fastest growing Asian subpopulations in America. Using a focus group approach, we propose to conduct a pilot project to assess what respondents describe as aspects of their culture that influence their caregiving to older family members or friends in the participants' own words and context without having constrained categories. Our specific aims are to: (1) describe and define the cultural meanings of caregiving by Korean American informal caregivers; (2) evaluate how acculturation affects perceptions about caregiving and the structure of informal care among Korean American immigrant caregivers; (3) identify the role and activities performed by Korean American informal caregivers; (4) assess sources of strain and evaluate strategies that Korean American caregivers use to cope with the difficulties of caregiving; and (5) describe services that have been utilized by Korean American caregivers and assess the need for various types of services (e.g., home visit, education, support groups, etc.). The participants will be divided into four caregiver categories: (1) adult children, (2) spouses, (3) daughters-in-law, and (4) non-relatives. Each focus group will consist of six members of the same caregiving category. They will meet twice for about two hours. This pilot investigation will allow us to develop survey instruments to examine health outcomes and their correlates and to assess the health service needs of Korean American caregivers. This phase will then lead to the next logical step of intervention, which will be designed to support Korean informal caregivers and promote their health outcomes, focusing upon their health promotion activities, chronic illness management strategies, and use of available resources.