Burden of Alzheimer's disease: Helping the patient and caregiver

The burden associated with caring for a patient with dementia is well docum ented. There are many conflicting data on the factors that cause caregiver burden. Historically, studies in this area have tended to focus on deficits in the patient and the burden and distress they cause the caregiver. More recently, it has been acknowledged that caregivers' own characteristics may play a major role in determining how burdensome and stressful they find th eir role. These characteristics include such things as gender, availability of support systems, and relationship to patient, as well as the way the ca regiver perceives the patient's symptoms (whether illness related or delibe rate) and his or her attitude and behavior toward the patient. Understandin g the origins of caregiver burden has broad implications both in terms of t he well-being of caregivers and the quality of support that patients receiv e. The Manchester Carer's Project, which is described here, seeks to identi fy the origins and management of caregiver burden.