OBJECTIVES: This study identified different types of
caregivers who provide care to older African Americans, the types of
caregiving
structures created to provide care, and the factors that help predict
caregiving structures. METHODS: A community sample of 330 caregivers caring for 202 elderly African Americans was used. Multinomial logistic regression predicted what type of caregiving structure was created by families to provide care to older relatives. RESULTS: Three types of caregivers were identified: 187 primary caregiveres, who were conncected to 79 secondary caregivers and 49 tertiary caregivers. Fifteen tertiary-only caregivers who were not connected to other caregivers were identified. Five caregiving structures were found: (i) primary, secondary, and tertiary, (ii) primary and secondary, (iii) primary and tertiary, (iv) primary only, and (v) tertiary-only. Characteristics of care recipients were predictive of caregiving structures. DISCUSSION: Different types of caregivers with distinct roles and responsibilties provided care within defined caregivers structures to older African American family members. Caregiving structures may be individualistic (only one caregiver) or collectivist (two or more caregivers). Caregiving structure is predicted by the care recipients'' conditions and situations, but not those of the primary caregiver