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Caregiving in Dementia
Caregiving can include the monitoring of the status of a person in need, responsibility for accessing and communicating with health care professionals and the comprehensive direct care of the person (nutritional, organizational, functional, financial....).
absence of caregiver(s) and higher perceived caregiver burden are major predictors of earlier institutionalization of those with dementia [2]
caregiver burden is defined as the physical, emotional and financial toll of providing care that can lead to increased illnesses, depression and mortality in those providing care [1]
up to 50% of caregivers experience psychiatric symptoms during their caregiving but many also report a sense of accomplishment in keeping their loved ones at home [2]
The Alzheimer Society of Canada provides ten warning signs of caregiver stress along with strategies to help reduce this stress
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1. Mendez MF, Cummings JL. Dementia: a clinical approach. 3rd ed. Philadelphia (PA): Elsevir Inc; 2003.
2. Patterson CJS, Gauthier S, Bergman H, Cohen CA, Feightner JW, Feldman H, Hogan DB. The recognition, assessment and management of dementing disorders: conclusions from the Canadian Consensus Conference on Dementia. Canadian Medical Association Journal 1999; 160 Suppl 12:S1-15.
