Articles: caregivers.
-
Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Aug 2006
Multicenter StudyPredictors of complicated grief among dementia caregivers: a prospective study of bereavement.
Most family caregivers adapt well to the death of their care recipient relative; however, a sizable minority continues to experience postdeath psychiatric morbidity. The purpose of this study was to better understand why some caregivers manifest clinical levels of complicated grief postdeath. This is the first study to prospectively assess predictors of complicated grief among family caregivers of patients with dementia who experience the death of their care recipient. ⋯ This study identifies predictors of complicated grief for which interventions could be developed to not only ease caregiver distress, but also serve as preventive interventions for bereavement. Reducing the burden of active caregiving, treating depression before the death of the loved one and providing supportive psychosocial and skills training caregiver interventions can prevent the emergence of postdeath psychiatric morbidity.
-
Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Aug 2006
Multicenter StudyWhy doesn't a family member of a person with advanced dementia use a substituted judgment when making a decision for that person?
The objective of this study was to identify what standard of decision making a family member uses when making medical decisions for their relative with advanced dementia. ⋯ These data suggest several reasons why surrogate decision-makers for persons with advanced dementia do not use the substituted judgment standard and the potential value of interventions that would allow patients with early-stage dementia and their family members to discuss healthcare preferences.
-
Multicenter Study
CPR training and CPR performance: do CPR-trained bystanders perform CPR?
To determine factors associated with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) provision by CPR-trained bystanders and to determine factors associated with CPR performance by trained bystanders. ⋯ A minority of CPR-trained bystanders performed CPR. CPR provision was more common in CPR-trained bystanders with more than a high-school education and when CPR training had been within five years. Previously espoused reasons for not doing CPR (mouth-to-mouth, infectious-disease risk) were not the reasons that bystanders cited for not doing CPR. Further work is needed to maximize CPR provision after CPR training.
-
Multicenter Study
Preparedness for the death of a loved one and mental health in bereaved caregivers of patients with dementia: findings from the REACH study.
Although it has been suggested that family and friends who are prepared for the death of a loved one have less distress, the relationship between preparedness and bereavement mental health is inconclusive. ⋯ Despite providing high-intensity care, often for years, many bereaved caregivers perceived themselves as unprepared for the death. These caregivers had more depression, anxiety, and complicated grief symptoms. Future work should be directed to confirming these findings and determining how best to intervene with high-risk caregivers.
-
J Ment Health Policy Econ · Jun 2006
Multicenter StudyModeling costs and burden of informal caregiving for persons with bipolar disorder.
Informal caregiving contributes significantly to the health and well being of chronically ill persons. While a vast literature demonstrates this connection, the cost and financial burden of informal caregiving has received considerably less research attention, especially as it-pertains to bipolar disorder. ⋯ Caution is needed in estimating the costs of informal caregiving needs as many costs are possible but their relationship to burden varies in strength and significance. Assumptions related to what is given and received and how this relates to expected patterns of giving and receiving in measuring and determining financial burden and costs are particularly important, as is the valuation of time.