Abstract

Background: The US healthcare system has become reliant upon family members to provide in-home care to ill relatives. Consequences from the stress of caregiving are well documented, with morbidity and mortality higher in caregivers of patients with dementia.
Purpose: Evaluate the potential for exercise as an intervention to improve the physical and psychological wellbeing of home-bound caregivers.
Aim: Identify exercise barriers to caregivers, investigate the effects of caregiver-specific exercise programs, and evaluate the viability of implementing such programs within the home.
Hypothesis: Caregivers of dementia patients may specifically benefit from interventions focused on fitness to improve strength and stamina while concomitantly ameliorating anxiety and depression. Moreover, the institutionalization of care recipients could potentially be delayed when cared for by more active and less despondent home providers.

Keywords: Caregiving; Alzheimer’s disease; Chronic stress; Depression; Anxiety; Physical activity; Fitness; Quality of life