Needs of family caregivers and persons with Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

This study of 39 Richmond, Virginia residents with Alzheimer's disease and/or their primary caregivers was intended to replicate and extend Bennett's Needs Assessment of 40 persons in the District of Columbia area using the Older American Resources and Services Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire and the Caregiver Strain Questionnaire. The functional status profile revealed “good” socioeconomic resources, “moderately impaired” mental health resources, “severely impaired” physical health resources and Activities of Daily Living. The top three services used were housekeeping, legal/protective and supervision. Minimal cost in time per family was one and one-half hours per day at a weekly cost of $140. Caregiver strain wasfound to be in the moderate range. The most severe areas of strain were related to personality and behavioral changes.

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