Abstract
In Poland, 92% of elderly people with dementia are cared for at home from diagnosis until death, and 44% of caregivers provide care on their own, without any support from other people. The aim of this study was to identify the needs, created because of the Covid-19 pandemic, of caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The study group consisted of 85 caregivers in the age range from 23 to 78 years and 80 (91.1%) were women. The questionnaire on the life situation of the caregiver and 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) were used. High levels of stress were found in 75 of the 85 subjects, representing 88% of the total. The greatest difficulties were identified in health care and in finding additional care for the charge. PSS-10 correlated with the deterioration of illness during Covid-19, changes in daily functioning, and concerns about both the health of the charge and caregiver. The level of stress severity in the caregiver group of charges with mild AD was higher than in the caregiver group of charges with moderate AD. The provision of extra care and professional psychological support for caregivers were identified as the greatest needs.
Highlights
Dementia is a current and serious public health problem in developed countries
As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), it “( . . . ) is a syndrome, usually of a chronic or progressive nature, in which there is a deterioration in cognitive function beyond what can be expected from normal ageing
Providing care for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) charges before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, Completion of an online questionnaire assessing the situation of caregivers and the needs of care during a pandemic, and Consent to participate in the study, which means assessing the stress level using the
Summary
Dementia is a current and serious public health problem in developed countries. It is one of the main causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide [1]. Poland is one of the fastest ageing countries in Europe, which results in increasing problems for the care of elderly members of society. AD is a serious challenge for the Polish health care and social welfare system. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 4493 of the costliest diseases of modern Europe. The costs generated by this disease include direct costs (treatment and nursing care, daily care at home), as well as those that can be described as indirect (loss of professional and social productivity of the charge and caregiver). In 2016, in the United States, informal care amounted to 18.2 billion hours, translating to US$230.1 billion [7]
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