Caregiver burden related to feeding process in Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract

Difficulties in the feeding process, such as aversive feeding behaviors and dysphagia, are common in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and can often overload their caregivers. Although dysphagia is already established as a factor contributing to caregiver burden, the impact of aversive behaviors is less studied. Objectives: Evaluate the relationship between the feeding process in individuals with AD and their caregiver’s burden. Methods: Dyads of individuals with AD and their caregivers were recruited for a cross-sectional study. The Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia (EdFED) scale, the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), the Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ), and the Functional Oral Intake scale (FOIS) were performed. Results: We included 60 AD individuals-caregivers dyads. The median (IQR) age of caregivers was 57 (19–81) years, and the most were females (70%). The individuals with AD had a median MMSE of 12 (6–15), and the disease duration was 4 (2–6) years. The mean (SD) Zarit score was 20.95 (6.51). In the multivariate linear regression, the EdFED score (95% CI 0.368–1.465) and time as a caregiver (95% CI 0.133–1.355) were associated with the caregiver’s burden. Conclusions: Aversive behaviors were associated with the caregiver burden of individuals with AD, even with a short duration of the disease. These findings show the importance of education for caregivers regarding the feeding process, as these measures have great potential to minimize the caregiver’s burden.