early‐onset dementia

Aim: Early‐onset dementia (EOD) (defined as dementia onset before age 65) presents specific challenges and issues, adding to the negative impact of dementia on the health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) of both patients and their caregivers. However, very few published studies have specifically compared the HRQOL of caregivers of people with EOD and late‐onset dementia (LOD). This information is critical in allocating and prioritizing scarce health‐care resources.

Objectives: Although dementia typically occurs in older people, it can also emerge in people aged younger than 65 years in the form of young‐onset dementia, the most common type of which is Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, few studies have examined the needs of persons with young‐onset AD (YO‐AD) and their families, and cross‐cultural research on the topic is even scarcer. In response, we investigated the situations, experiences and needs for assistance of carers of persons with YO‐AD in Brazil and Norway.