Costs with dementia have been the focus of research around the world and indirect
costs to the caregiver appear in the literature as responsible for the greatest
impact. In Latin American (LA) studies, indirect costs with dementia range from
60% to 75% of family income.ObjectiveTo present preliminary results of the study "Description of the methods and
cost analysis with dementia" currently being conducted at the Behavioral and
Cognitive Neurology Unit of Hospital de Clínicas of University of
São Paulo - HC-FMUSP.MethodsA cross-sectional study which, to date, includes interviews of 93 primary
caregivers. The research protocol includes a sociodemographic questionnaire,
the Functional Assessment Staging (FAST) scale, the Burden Interview
(Zarit), an economic classification scale, and the Resource Utilization in
Dementia (RUD) scale.ResultsMonthly indirect costs were US$ 1,122.40, US$ 1,508.90 and US$ 1,644.70
stratified into mild, moderate and severe dementia, respectively. The
projected annual indirect costs were US$ 13,468.80, US$ 18,106.80 and US$
19,736.40, representing 69 to 169% of family income.ConclusionThis small sample showed that the impact of indirect costs with dementia in
Brazil may be higher than that reported in other Latin American (LA)
studies. These initial results may represent an important contribution for
further research on costs with dementia in LA.
Background: In the last 10 months, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, several studies have demonstrated the viability of health education and virtual support strategies for caregivers of dementia patients to provide home care. Low and middle-income countries in particular, have sought to use these approaches to reduce the daily burden of caregivers, through virtual meetings providing education and support. Objectives: To present the feasibility of a pilot study on the use of a care support action under the CAAD Project - indirect costs of dementia – run by the HC-FMUSP. Methods: An observational study of 93 caregivers invited to participate in virtual 1-hour meetings three times a week was conducted. Results: Of the 93 family members who took part, 42 answered the eight questions about the effectiveness of the action after 3 months. The rate of positive responses for program satisfaction was high, ranging from 86% to 100%. Conclusion: The study results of this simple intervention suggest the utility of the program for caregivers of dementia patients in primary care. The intervention can provide a better understanding of difficulties faced by caregivers in their daily care of dementia patients and daily management guidance on a case-by-case basis. The program also promoted the implementation of an education strategy on the importance of understanding and recognizing anatomical-physiological changes in the aging process and their implications for the invisible line between senescence and senility. This process empowers the caregiver to feel able to protect both the patient and themselves by preventing the emergence of common diseases in this age group. Further studies are needed to explore this non-pharmacological support approach.
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