Table 1 Sample description: care recipients and family members

 Age (years)/Mean(SD) (n = 384)

78.4 (14.0)

84.7^b,d (14.1)

64.5^a,c,d (10.9)

79.3^b (13.9)

77.5^a,b (12.6)

.000

 Female (%) (n = 381)

54.3

67.2^b

33.3^a,c,d

54.8^b

52.9^b

.023

 Cancer (%) (n = 388)

38.4

7.9^c,d

3.3^c,d

21.4^a,b,d

72.9^a,b,c

.000

 Days on unit (%) (n = 379)

.000

  Q1: <= 5

26.9

0.0^b,c,d

58.6^a,c,d

29.2^a,b

29.8^a,b

  Q2: 5 to <= 11

23.5

1.6^b,c,d

24.1^a

24.8^a

31.1^a

  Q3: 11 to <= 34

25.1

6.5^c,d

13.8^c

35.0^a,b

25.9^a

  Q4: >34

24.5

92.0^b,c,d

3.4^a

10.9^a

13.2^a

 Age (years)/Mean(SD) (n = 383)

61.2 (12.9)

63.6 (12.5)

59.6 (12.9)

60.5 (12.5)

61.3 (13.4)

ns

 Female (%) (n = 385)

67.8

69.4

70.0

67.4

67.1

ns

 Married (%) (n = 385)

65.5

77.4^b,d

53.3^a

68.8

60.0^a

.035

 Caregiving for (%) (n = 383)

.000

  Spouse

35.8

21.3^b,d

60.0^a,c

28.5^b,d

43.2^a,c

  Parent/in-law

49.6

65.6^b,d

20.0^a,c,d

53.3^b

45.8^a,b

  Other

14.6

13.1

20.0

18.2

11.0

 Working (%) (n = 381)

43.8

50.0

40.0

46.0

40.3

ns

 Cared for care recipient (%) (n = 385)

69.7

66.1^b,d

34.5^a,c,d

64.9^b,d

81.8^a,b,c

.000

 Lived with care recipient (%) (n = 385)

46.5

37.1^b,d

63.3^a,c

39.1^b,d

53.5^a,c

.008

 Optimism possible range of 0 to 4: Mean(SD) (n = 375)

2.79 (0.64)

2.78 (0.61)

2.86 (0.71)

2.87 (0.62)

2.70 (0.64)

ns

 Resilience possible range of 1 to 7: Mean(SD) (n = 379)

5.73 (0.74)

5.75 (0.69)

5.70 (0.66)

5.81 (0.61)

5.66 (0.85)

ns

 Grief possible range of 1 to 6: Mean(SD) (n = 369)

4.64 (1.15)

4.86^a (1.08)

4.03^a,c (1.26)

4.90^b,d (1.03)

4.43^c (1.19)

.000