Caregiver appraisals of functional dependence in individuals with dementia and associated caregiver upset: Psychometric properties of a new scale and response patterns by caregiver and care Recipient characteristics

Objective: To evaluate psychometric properties and response patterns of the Caregiver Assessment of Function and Upset (CAFU), a 15-item multidimensional measure of dependence in dementia patients and caregiver reaction. Method: 640 families were administered the CAFU (53% White, 43% African American, and 4% mixed race and ethnicity). We created a random split of the sample and conducted exploratory factor analyses on Sample 1 and confirmatory factor analyses on Sample 2. Convergent and discriminant validity were evaluated using Spearman rank correlation coefficients. Results: A two-factor structure for functional items was derived, and excellent factorial validity was obtained. Convergent and discriminant validity were obtained for function and upset measures. Differential response patterns for dependence and caregiver upset were found for caregiver race, relationship, and care recipient gender but not for caregiver gender. Discussion: The CAFU is easily administered, reliable, and valid for evaluating appraisals of dependencies and upsetting care areas.