You are here

  1. Home
  2. Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease

Dementia diagnosis and white lies: a necessary evil for carers of dementia patients?

I am the daughter and one of the main carers for my 90-year-old mother. My mother was diagnosed with dementia in 2015. In this article, I reflect on dealing with my mother's progressive disability, with a focus on one experience. I explain why I believe withholding the truth is sometimes an acceptable, or even a preferable, course of action. The article illustrates how differing advice and lack of guidance about dementia diagnosis and 'truth-telling' play out in practice.

Thu, 05/23/2019 - 14:41

Characteristics of the spouse caregiving experience: comparison between early- and late-onset dementia

Objectives: To investigate the characteristics of the caregiving experience according to age at onset of dementia to adapt support programmes. Method: Fifty-seven spouse caregivers of persons with early-onset dementia (PEOD) and 93 spouse caregivers of persons with late-onset dementia (PLOD) participated. The characteristics of the caregiving experience were assessed using questionnaires. The authors compared the two groups according to age at onset of the disease using a multivariate test, Pillai's Trace test.

Sun, 05/05/2019 - 19:21

Caregiver burden in Alzheimer's disease: moderation effects of social support and mediation effects of positive aspects of caregiving

Objectives: Although there are many studies on the relationship between patient‐related factors and negative caregiver outcomes, the specifics of this relationship are poorly understood. Aim: to examine whether caregiver social support moderated the relationship between patient factors and negative outcomes for caregivers of community‐dwelling older adults with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and whether positive aspects of caregiving mediated this relationship.

Sun, 05/05/2019 - 19:14

Which interventions work for dementia family carers?: An updated systematic review of randomized controlled trials of carer interventions

Objective: The aim of this study was to update the literature on interventions for carers of people with dementia published between 2006 and 2016 and evaluate the efficacy of psychoeducational programs and psychotherapeutic interventions on key mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety, burden, and quality of life). Methods: A meta-analysis was carried out of randomized controlled trials of carer interventions using MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.

Tue, 04/16/2019 - 11:20

Illness representations in caregivers of people with dementia

Objectives: Illness representations shape responses to illness experienced by the self or by others. The illness representations held by family members of those with long-term conditions such as dementia influence their understanding of what is happening to the person and how they respond and provide support. The aim of this study is to explore components of illness representations (label, cause, control and timeline) in caregivers of people with dementia.

Fri, 04/12/2019 - 15:05

Gratitude and coping among familial caregivers of persons with dementia

Objectives: Gratitude is widely perceived as a key factor to psychological well-being by different cultures and religions. The relationship between gratitude and coping in the context of familial dementia caregiving has yet to be investigated. Design: This study is the first to examine the associations among gratitude, coping strategies, psychological resources and psychological distress using a structural equation modelling approach.

Wed, 04/10/2019 - 15:07

Patterns of carer distress over time in mild dementia

Objective To study the level of carer reported distress in mild dementia, over a 3‐year period. Methods This study is part of the Norwegian DemVest‐study and utilises data from carers of people with mild dementia (n = 223). Those diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB, n = 63) and Alzheimer's disease (AD, n = 97) were included together with other dementia types (n = 63). The Relatives' Stress Scale was used to assess the level of reported distress in carers.

Fri, 04/05/2019 - 11:20

Factors emerging from the "Zarit Burden Interview" and predictive variables in a UK sample of caregivers for people with dementia

Background: Caring for persons with dementia (PWD) can create “caregiver burden,” which is associated with negative outcomes for caregivers and PWD. The ZBI (Zarit Burden Interview) is a widely used unitary measure of caregiver burden. However, recent research has found caregiver burden to be multi-dimensional. The purpose of this study was to explore the factor structure of the ZBI within a sample of UK caregivers. A secondary aim was to identify variables that predicted burden dimensions found.

Fri, 04/05/2019 - 10:33

Investigating what works to support family carers of people with dementia: a rapid realist review

Introduction :Advances in longevity and medicine mean that many more people in the UK survive life-threatening diseases but are instead susceptible to life-limiting diseases such as dementia. Within the next 10 years those affected by dementia in the UK is set to rise to over 1 million, making reliance on family care of people with dementia (PWD) essential. A central challenge is how to improve family carer support to offset the demands made by dementia care which can jeopardise carers’ own health. This review investigates ‘what works to support family carers of PWD’.

Thu, 03/28/2019 - 14:08

Consistency of dementia caregiver intervention classification: an evidence-based synthesis

Background: There are many systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SRs) of interventions for family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. A challenge when synthesizing the efficacy of dementia caregiver interventions is the potential discrepancy in how they are categorized. The objective of this study was to systematically examine inconsistencies in how dementia caregiver interventions are classified.

Mon, 03/25/2019 - 12:38