PERSONAL TRAITS OF CAREGIVERS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DEMENTIA

Abstract

Dementia is a debilitating condition characterized by memory decline, impaired cognitive functions, behavioural changes, and difficulties in performing daily activities. It predominantly affects older individuals and is a leading cause of disability. The global prevalence of dementia is on the rise, primarily due to population aging. Many individuals with dementia are cared for at home by their family members, who face the potential risk of caregiver burden and psychological stress stemming from the changing psychological state of the dementia patients. Providing daily care for individuals with dementia necessitates caregivers' active engagement in personal adaptation processes and the utilization of psychosocial resources. The purpose of this study is to determine the peculiarities of character accentuations of caregivers for patients with dementia.
 The study demonstrated that approximately 80% of patients with dementia receive care from their relatives. We conducted a comprehensive examination encompassing sociodemographic, clinical-psychopathological, psychodiagnostic, and statistical analyses. The methodology of K. Leongard - N. Schmieschek (1970) allowed us to establish a profile of personal accentuation of the studied groups, which took into account the presence of a certain type at the level of a sign, tendency or clearly present characteristic. Our findings revealed a statistically significant predominance of anxious (χ2=10.759, p=0.002) and stuck (χ2=4.166, p=0.042) accentuation types among individuals in Group I who possessed caregiving skills, compared to those in Group II. Conversely, caregivers in Group II exhibited a prevalent tendency towards demonstrative behaviour (χ2=8.028, p=0.005).
 Through this study, we established characterological profiles with pronounced accentuations for individuals fulfilling the role of caregivers for dementia patients. This enables us to consider the unique personal characteristics when developing psychocorrective measures for caregivers. For this particular category of individuals, counselling assistance is recommended, along with psychoeducational measures aimed at raising awareness and enhancing the quality of life.