Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate predictive factors of quality of life (QOL) in home caregivers of patients with dementia.
Methods: A total of 118 home caregivers (48 male, 70 female) were asked to complete the World Health Organization (WHO) Quality of Life 26 (WHO/QOL-26) questionnaire, the Pines Burnout Measure (BM), and the Beck Depression Inventory, second edition (BDI-II). Patient demographics and clinical data regarding cognitive impairment, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and dementia severity were obtained from medical records.
Results: Spearman rank correlation coefficients revealed that caregiver QOL was significantly correlated with patients' neuropsychiatric symptoms (r=-0.19; P < 0.05), as well as depressive symptoms (r=-0.59, P < 0.01) and burnout (r=-0.59, P < 0.01) in caregivers. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that depressive symptoms in caregivers was the strongest predictor for caregiver QOL (R(2) = 0.37, P < 0.001) and that caregiver QOL was best predicted by the combination of depressive symptoms, burnout, and the cognitive impairment of patients (R(2) = 0.46, P < 0.05).
Conclusion: The results of the present study demonstrate that subjective experiences of caregivers are more strongly correlated with caregiver QOL than patient-related variables and are thus powerful determinants of caregiver QOL. These findings suggest that caregiver intervention, which aims to increase QOL, may benefit from the incorporation of strategies to reduce depressive symptoms and burnout.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1479-8301.2011.00354.x | DOI Listing |
Nurs Philos
January 2025
Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
The moral authority of advance directives (ADs) in the context of persons living with dementia (PLWD) has sparked a multifaceted debate, encompassing concerns such as authenticity and the appropriate involvement of caregivers. Dresser critiques ADs based on Parfit's account of numeric personal identity, using the often-discussed case of a PLWD called Margo. She claims that dementia leads to a new manifestation of Margo emerging, which then contracts pneumonia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpilepsy Behav
January 2025
Epilepsy-Center Berlin-Brandenburg, Institute for Diagnostics of Epilepsy, Herzbergstr. 79 10365, Berlin, Germany; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Neurology, Augustenburger Platz 1 13353, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address:
Introduction: In people with intellectual disability (ID), prevalence of epilepsy can be over 40-times higher than in normally intelligent people, impacting quality of life (QoL) of those affected. Patients with ID are often excluded from clinical trials, resulting in limited evidence regarding treatment. This study aimed to evaluate effects of a comprehensive inpatient treatment program on seizure outcome and QoL and to identify predictive factors for improvement in these measures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Educ Health Promot
December 2024
Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
Background: Hemodialysis (HD) patients require assistance from family caregivers in performing daily activities. This additional responsibility may cause caregivers to feel burdened, resulting in a poor quality of life. The current study envisaged assessing the degree of caregiver burden (CB) and quality of life among the primary caregivers of HD patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Health Psychol
January 2025
IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino Pulejo, Italy.
Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting motor and cognitive functions, reducing the quality of life (QoL) for both patients and caregivers. This study explored correlations between clinical and psychological factors in early-stage PD patients and their caregivers, focusing on disease burden and caregiver stress. Nineteen PD patients and their caregivers were assessed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the association between the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes-Palliative Care (ECHO-PC; ECHO Model-Based comprehensive educational and telementoring intervention) for health care professionals (HCPs) and change in patient-reported quality-of-life (QOL; Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General [FACT-G]) among patients with advanced cancer. We also examined the association between ECHO-PC and changes in symptom distress (Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale [ESAS]), patient experience and satisfaction, and caregiver distress scores.
Methods: ECHO-PC Clinic sessions were conducted twice a month for 1 year by an interdisciplinary team of PC clinicians at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, with participation of experts in PC in sub-Saharan Africa, using standardized curriculum on the basis of PC needs in the region.
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