Beyond Caregiving: Daily Pleasant Activities among Caregivers to Older Adults with and without Dementia

Objectives: Limited research has explored caregivers' activities beyond caregiving duties, which may offer positive experiences and counterbalance caregiving stress. This study aimed to (a) identify the most pleasant non-caregiving activities, (b) assess time allocation based on activity categories and pleasantness, and (c) investigate the association between activity pleasantness and duration, considering differences between caregivers to older adults with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) and those without.

Methods: This study included 2,136 caregivers (33% ADRD) from the 2017 National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) who participated in a time diary interview. Participants reported all activities from the previous day, including their pleasantness appraisal and duration.

Results: Weighted descriptives showed organizational activities (e.g., religious practices) were rated as the most pleasant, followed by active leisure (e.g., sports), for both ADRD and non-ADRD caregivers. Caregivers spent most time on non-active leisure (e.g., TV viewing), with about 10.6 hours daily on pleasant non-caregiving activities and 35 minutes on unpleasant ones. Weighted linear regression models indicated that both groups reported comparable pleasantness ratings for various activities and allocated similar amounts of time to activities based on categories and pleasantness. For non-ADRD caregivers, greater activity pleasantness was temporarily linked to longer durations.

Discussion: This study enhances understanding of caregivers' appraisals and time spent on non-caregiving activities. While ADRD caregiving is more stressful than non-ADRD caregiving, no spillover effect was observed on the pleasantness ratings or time spent on non-caregiving activities. However, ADRD caregivers may encounter challenges in sustaining pleasant activities over time.