The Dementia Caregiver—A Primary Care Approach

Abstract

Caring for loved ones with dementia is challenging and stressful for family members who have to provide the home care. The responsibility takes a huge physical, emotional, and financial toll on the caregivers, which is known as caregiver burden. The survival and quality of life of the dementia patient have been shown to be related to the well-being of the caregiver. An overwhelmed caregiver can result in premature institutionalization and increased health-care utilization, by both the patients and the caregivers. The physician should periodically assess caregivers for the level of perceived burden, presence of depression and anxiety, social support, behavioral problems in the care recipient, and coping strategies and help the patient and caregiver with advance care planning. Strategies that meld support, education, and practical counseling about common caregiving stresses and community resources seem to mitigate caregiver burden and depression.

Lewy Body Dementia

“…Theses findings highlight significant unmet needs for LBD caregivers (and patients). We now have identified potential targets for intervention to increase social support,7,8 improve educational opportunities,25 referral to community-based services,25 dementia care plans26 in order to reduce caregiver burden that may have direct effects on both patient and caregiver outcomes 7,8,27,28. For example, LBD caregivers may be encouraged to enroll their loved ones in day programs rather than get in home services.…”

Caregiver Burden in Pediatric Asthma: A Systematic Review

“…Zarit et al [4] defined caregiver burden as 'the degree to which a carer's emotional or physical health, social life or financial status had suffered as a result of caring for their relative. Dang et al [5] emphasises that caregiver burden involves physical, social and financial conditions of caregivers. Caregivers provide not only direct caring but psycho-social support also related with the disease.…”

The relationship between care burden and social support in Turkish Alzheimer patients family caregivers: Cross-sectional study

“…It was also observed that it was harder for low-income caregivers to take care of their sick family members [27] and that those caregivers with poor economic status also had a low quality of life [28] and a higher stress level [29] . Caring for people with Alzheimer's disease has been variously characterized as demanding adjustment strategies, constituting threatening events and having a forceful emotional impact [30][31][32] .…”