Family caregiving in dementia--an analysis of the caregiver's burden and the "breaking-point" when home care becomes inadequate.

The burden of caregivers of patients suffering from of Alzheimer type dementia (DAT) and vascular dementia (VD) was analysed at the critical time, the "breaking-point", when home care becomes insufficient and/or inadequate and the caregiver burden has probably reached its upper limit. Primary family caregivers of 39 DAT and 40 VD patients who were being considered for relocation into group-living units were studied. Total caregiving burden and different aspects of the burden: general strain, isolation, disappointment, and emotional involvement, were correlated with the patients' diagnoses, abilities, and symptoms.

Behavioral disturbances and pharmacological treatment of patients with dementia in family caregiving: a 2-year follow-up.

Behavioral disturbances are common in dementia. Polypharmacy due to progression of disease and fluctuation of symptoms among patients might increase risk of overtreatment and/or undertreatment. Drug prescription habits were studied in relationship to symptoms of dementia after relocation of patients to group-living care units (GC).

Family caregiving in dementia: prediction of caregiver burden 12 months after relocation to group-living care.

The strain of caregiving associated with the care of demented persons living at home often continues after relocation and group-living care units (GL), designed for a small number of subjects, have been developed. The aim was to prospectively describe caregiver burden in relationship to symptoms of patients with dementia after relocation to GL. Sixty-four caregivers and 64 demented patients were assessed before, 6 months after, and 12 months after relocation.

How should a group living unit for demented elderly be designed to decrease psychiatric symptoms?

The main objectives were to study relationships between the design of group living (GL) units and psychiatric symptoms in demented patients before, 6 months after, and 1 year after admission to GL units. The study population comprised 105 demented elderly (83 +/- 6 years), 37% with dementia of Alzheimer's type and 58% with vascular dementia. The patients were relocated by the municipal care planning team after clinical examination.

Group-living care: an alternative for the demented elderly.

Group-living (GL) care as an alternative to traditional long-term care for elderly demented people is rapidly proliferating across Sweden. In engineering the psychosocial and physical environment according to the competence and needs of moderately and moderately to severely demented patients, therapeutic effects on symptoms can be achieved during a period of the dementing process. The background, implementation and outcome of a concept of GL care developed for patients suffering from dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT), vascular dementia (VD) and mixed DAT and VD is presented as is the role of GL in the total dementia care of a community.

Caregiver's burden of patients 3 years after stroke assessed by a novel caregiver burden scale.

Objective: To assess burden of caregivers to stroke patients three year after primary stroke and to test validity and reliability of a novel caregiver burden scale (CB scale).

Design: A longitudinal community-based 3-year follow-up study of 35 consecutive primary stoke patients initially admitted to an Acute Medical Unit (mean age 82 yr). The validity of the CB scale was studied in 150 patients (mean age 77 yr): 83 demented outpatients with stroke from a general geriatric day-care unit.

A dynamic long-term care system for the demented elderly.

The dynamic processes and the way they interact in shaping a care system for demented patients are analyzed and discussed. The development of disability/dependency, interpreted in a simulation model based on Katz's index of ADL and Berger's scale "Rating the severity of senility," gave insight into the interplay of four care levels: psychogeriatric long-term care for patients with severe behavioral disturbances, nursing-home care for patients with highly reduced ADL capacity who are often moderately to severely demented, group-living care for the demented with less dominating ADL dependency, and residential care for the elderly frail with or without symptoms of dementia. For each facility in this chain of care, characteristics in patients' symptomatology and behavior could also be identified.

Staff attitudes and job satisfaction in the care of demented elderly people: group living compared with long-term care institutions.

The present study is one part of a study evaluating group living (GL) care for demented elderly people in comparison with traditional institutional (TI) care. The present report concentrates on personal and work-related effects on staff. A staff training programme has been implemented, including relevant gerontological knowledge, principles of the new care concept, support and supervision.

An attempt to determine the impact of group living care in comparison to traditional long-term care on demented elderly patients.

Group living (GL) care for demented elderly is an established model of care in Sweden. This study analyzes the outcome of care in terms of time of GL care, survival and care load for demented patients when extended home care no longer is considered sufficient. Twenty-eight patients, mean age 83 years, suffering from dementia of Alzheimer type or vascular dementia and previously institutionalized, were relocated from long-term care wards into GL units.

Development and consequences of group living in Sweden. A new mode of care for the demented elderly.

The process of developing a new mode of care for the demented elderly, group living (GL), is evaluated and the consequences discussed. The increasing proportion of very old persons in Sweden means a higher prevalence of dementia. The majority of patients in traditional institutional long term care show cognitive deterioration.