DEMENTIA CAREGIVER BURDEN - A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE AND GUIDELINESFOR ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias are common degenerative d isorders in the elderly. Most AD patients are cared for at home by fam ily members, usually elderly spouses; Although caregiving is associate d with significant psychological and physical morbidity, there are wid e individual differences among caregivers in how well they adapt to ca regiving demands. In addition, recent data suggest that caregiver vari ables can be important determinants of AD patient institutionalization and that AD patients living with highly distressed caregivers may exh ibit higher frequencies of behavioral problems and agitation than thos e living with less distressed caregivers. Predictors of caregiver outc ome, predictors of institutionalization, and the effect of the caregiv er on the course and symptomatology of dementia are described. A model of assessment and intervention for the physician, referral processes, and resources for the caregiver are presented.