Research on the Impact of Caregiver Pattern on Dementia Progression in Alzheimer''s Disease

• Main Authors: Ying-chiia Liu, 劉盈嘉
• Other Authors: Wei-wen Liu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/49578914630271071272

碩士 === 中臺科技大學 === 健康產業管理研究所 === 98 === Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia. Dementia is a mental disorder characterized by multiple cognitive impairment, emotional and behavioral disturbances and dysfunction of activities of daily living. The social and financial costs for dementia care are growing as the gradual awareness of this disease. Traditionally, the primary caregivers are family members. However, there is a tendency that foreign in-home caregivers substitute family members as the primary caregivers in recent years in Taiwan as well as many other countries. Study on impact of caregiver pattern on cognitive function of AD patients is still pending; therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate this issue as well as to explore the relationship between caregiver pattern and dementia progression of AD patients. 　　This is a longitudinal study and a consecutive series of 109 patients with AD visit in a dementia clinic of a regional hospital in mid-Taiwan were included in this study. The patients were divided into 3 groups: family caregiver group, nursing home caregiver group and foreign in-home caregiver group. All of the patients were assessed by Clinical Dementia Rating(CDR), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), Barthel Index (BI), Neuropsychiatric Inventory(NPI), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale(HDRS), Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument( CASI), and Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE). 　　This study found out that family caregiver group led to the most significant improvement on AD patients’ emotional and behavioral disturbances, followed by foreign in-home caregiver group, and had no significant improvement by nursing home caregiver group. Regardless of caregiver pattern, the IADL, CASI and MMSE are continuously degradation. There are significant differences among the three caregiver patter on dementia progression in AD patients. 　　The finding of this study suggest that the medical-related institutions managers should establish the standard operating procedures (SOP) of caring the AD patients, and provide education and training courses of dementia to improve the quality of long term care of AD patients.