Do the caregiving spouses of people with dementia in Spain perceive the same barriers for taking part in interventions as caregiving offspring?

Towards a comprehensive psychosocial profile of the family caregiver of people with dementia

BACKGROUND

The profile of caregivers focuses on socio-demographic variables (age, gender, kinship, and educational level). However, buffer variables (e.g., dysfunctional thoughts) and indicators of the impacts of caregiving (e.g., stress) are often overlooked.

OBJECTIVE

The study aims to offer a comprehensive view of the profile of the family caregiver of people with dementia by considering aspects contemplated in theoretical explanatory models of care.

METHODS

It was based on a cross-sectional design. Socio-demographic and care-related characteristics and variables of the consequences of caregiving and related buffers were evaluated for 40 family caregivers of people with dementia. The Short form of Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised (SPSI-R-25), the Leisure Time Satisfaction Survey (LTS), the Revised Scale for Caregiving Self-Efficacy (RSCSE), the Escala de Habilidades Sociales (EHS), the Psychosocial Support Questionnaire (PSQ), the Cuestionario de Pensamientos Disfuncionales (CPD), the Caregiver Burden Interview (CBI), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment-AGE (WHOQOL-AGE) were utilized. Descriptions of the variables and contrast tests (chi-square tests, t-tests, and two-factor ANOVAs) were made and used to compare the differences according to gender and kinship.

RESULTS

Family caregivers are women, typically around 60 years old, wives or daughters, married, with primary/secondary education, who spend long hours caring with little support. They presented a low level of social and problem-solving skills, received little social support, had low self-efficacy and quality of life, highly dysfunctional thoughts, overload, depressive symptomatology, and stress. Significant differences were found according to kinship in educational level, employment status, hours per day dedicated to care time, and contemplating placing the person in a nursing home. Significant differences by kinship were also found in self-efficacy for responding to disruptive behaviors, perceived social support, and stress. Spouses have lower levels of this type of self-efficacy and have higher levels of stress but perceive greater social support. Males have higher levels of dysfunctional thoughts.

CONCLUSION

This study facilitates the identification of the specific needs of caregivers, to provide them with individualized interventions. Spouses and offspring present different needs and therefore interventions should be different.

Needs Detection for Carers of Family Members with Dementia

Aim: To determine the perceived needs of carers of non-institutionalized family members that suffer from dementia. Methods: Two-steps qualitative study by focus groups of relatives in three centres of different characteristics from the Girona Health Region (step 1) and two in-depth interviews with significant professionals in dementia care (step 2). The analysis was performed based on the interpretation of the transcribed data and the bottom-up coding of categories and themes. The information was triangulated and coding was agreed upon. Results: There were three groups, 26 main carers of community-dwelling relatives with dementia in step 1 and two in-depth interviews with dementia-specialised healthcare and social care professionals in step 2. The demands were categorised according to three main themes: whether they were addressed to the members of care services for more direct and close care, to the agencies for a better joint working and less fragmented system, or to society for better comprehension and social recognition. We emphasize the need for a consultation-liaison reference figure throughout the process both for aspects of greater efficiency in the management of resources and for greater empowerment of carers.