Evaluating the needs of dementia patients' caregivers in Greece: A questionnaire survey

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the needs of dementia patients’ caregivers throughout Greece in order to use the acquired data for designing a comprehensive national dementia strategy. Methods: The work was carried out in Athens Alzheimer Association’s Day Care. A questionnaire containing 14 close question and 2 open ended was completed by 248 caregivers looking after people with dementia living at home and participating in the activities of the Day Care Centers of the Alzheimer’s Association. Results: The majority of caregivers were females (78.2%), mainly daughters or spouses. A 41.1% had 12-18 years of formal education. Most of them lived with the person with dementia (69.4%). A 57.8% reported neither difficulties nor complaints regarding the existing medical and social services they took advantage of. However, financial problems and lack of allowances were crucial issues for most of them. Moreover, caregivers needed more support in caring and especially in every day practical and legal issues. Conclusion: The findings of this survey highlight the importance of assessing the needs of family caregivers when designing health and social care policies.