National Study of Caregiving (NSOC)

The National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) is a national study of friends and family members providing help to older adults with their daily activities. This page provides information for NSOC participants.

 

Overview

Since 2011, the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) has been providing important information on help provided to older adults with their daily activities. NSOC interviews thousands of family members and friends who have helped participants in the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS).

NSOC is being led by investigators at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research, with data collection by Westat. Support for NSOC is provided by the National Institute on Aging.

 

NSOC FAQs

The purpose of the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) is to understand the experience of helping older people with their daily activities.

 

NSOC is being led by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. NSOC is currently sponsored by the National Institute on Aging, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.

 

Westat, a survey research firm with expertise in data collection and management, is collecting the study information.

 

NSOC interviews adults ages 18 and older who have helped a relative or friend participating in the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). Since 2011, more than 5,000 people have participated in NSOC.

 

Participation in this study is voluntary. At any time, a participant may choose not to be part of the study or choose not to answer a question. However, each person invited to be in NSOC represents thousands of others and cannot be replaced. The more experiences we learn about, the more successful the study will be.

NSOC asks about experiences providing help and about helpers’ lives and activities. For individuals whose relative or friend is deceased, NSOC asks about help provided in the last month of his or her life. In future years, we may contact participants to ask about recent experiences helping and changes since the last interview.

 

A typical interview takes about 30 minutes, but the amount of time can vary from person to person.

 

We follow strict procedures and guidelines to keep any identifying information private and safe. The information we collect is used for research purposes only.

 

After the information is collected and compiled, NSOC data is made available to researchers. The study information will be used to answer research questions about the types of help provided to older adults and how being a helper affects caregivers’ lives.

 

If you have questions about NSOC, please call us toll free at (855) 421-1182 or
email us at NSOC@westat.com.

 

Contact Us

Need to get in touch? Email us at:

NSOC c/o NHATS Room RE360, Westat
1600 Research Blvd,
Rockville, MD 20850-3129

 

1-855-421-1182