Caregivers Of Dementia Patients Research Articles

Assessment of the Burden of Care and Burnout Level in Caregivers of Dementia Patients in a Home Care Setting

Aim: This study aims to evaluate the factors affecting the care burden and burnout levels of caregivers with dementia patients receiving home care services. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in Samsun Training and Research Hospital Home Care Services which paid a visit at home between March 20 and June 20, 2021. The caregivers of the patients who were followed up by the diagnosis of dementia were included in the study after having agreed to participate in the study with their written informed consents. The 'Socio-demographic Data Form', 'Zarit Burden Interview' and 'Maslach Burnout Inventory’ were administered to caregivers during face-to-face interviews. Results: A total of 157 caregivers were included in our study, of which 70.1% (n=110) were women. 68.2% (n=107) were in the 40-64 years age group. The mean Zarit Burden Interview score was calculated as 47.10±16.14 (min=21, max=85). 76.4% of caregivers had moderate to severe escalated care burden. Once the impact of the increase in caregiver burden score on Maslach Burnout Inventory subgroups was examined, the relationship was found to be positively significant with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, and negatively significant with personal achievement. Conclusion: As the burden of care increases, the level of burnout of individuals increases. Female gender, illiteracy, lack of income, duration of care given which is prolonged for more than one year, and daily care duration exceeding 12 hours were determined as outstanding factors that increase the care burden and level of burnout. Keywords: home care services, caregivers, dementia, caregiver burnout

Smartphone Application Usability Test for Dementia Patients' Primary Caregivers: Pilot Study

AbstractBackgroundThe increase in the prevalence of dementia is emerging as a serious social problem by increasing the physical, mental, and social burdens of family caregivers taking care of dementia patients We would like to conduct a preliminary study to evaluate the application design, development, and usability test before conducting a study on the effectiveness of the smartphone application developed for the main caregiver of dementia patients.MethodAfter approval of N university IRB, usability test will be carried out in 2 cycles. We will use the application developed for 10 family caregivers (5 people in 1 cycle) in South Korea aged 18 to 80 years old. We will then collect usability testing surveys on content, interface design, technology etc. either via online (web‐based) or telephone surveys.ResultThe application to be developed in this study will enable key caregivers caring for dementia patients at home to obtain information on dementia knowledge and coping strategies, set physical and mental goals, and monitor their physical and mental status. In addition, through communication within the app, they share information about diseases and care, maintain and improve mental and physical health through emotional support and empathy, and increase coping strategies and care effectiveness.ConclusionThis study is a usability study of a smartphone application developed for caregivers of dementia patients. The results of this study will encourage the use of applications to improve the mental and physical health of caregivers caring for dementia patients, and to improve coping strategies and caring efficacy.

Development of a Clinical Nursing Guide for Attending to Caregivers of Dementia Patients.

Health promotion and health education play an essential role in individual self-care, as recognized by U.S. nursing theoretician Virginia Henderson who posited that the nursing profession helps people-whether healthy or ill-carry out activities that contribute to their own health or recovery, gaining independence as soon as possible. A three-stage methodological study led to design of a practical guide for nursing personnel who care for the primary caregivers of patients with dementia in the Havana, Cuba municipality of Marianao. Of the 14 human needs described by Henderson, the study addressed five that were deemed relevant, based on the professional experience of the authors and according to these caregivers' own expressions, as well as the possibility of carrying out related community work in health promotion. From 2014 to 2018, Henderson's human needs were contextualized and linked to health promotion and mental health actions in a primary health-care setting.

How family dementia caregivers perceive benefits of a 4-week Mentalizing Imagery Therapy program: a pilot study.

Family caregivers of dementia patients experience high levels of interpersonal stress that often results in elevated anxiety, and depression, and negative impacts on interpersonal relationships. Changes in behaviors and the structure of relationships with the care recipient (CR) and others in the social milieu challenge the caregivers' ability to mentalize, or understand the links between mental states and behaviors. This study investigates the experiences and perceived benefits of family dementia caregivers who underwent Mentalizing Imagery Therapy (MIT), a treatment aiming to improve balanced self-other mentalizing and reduce psychological symptoms. Purposeful sampling was used to select 11 family dementia caregivers who underwent a 4-week pilot trial of MIT. Semi-structured interviews were completed post-intervention to identify subjective benefits, putative psychological mediators and perceived active components. Caregivers reported improvements in well-being, mood, anxiety, and sleep, and a majority stated MIT helped with forming and maintaining healthier relationships. Some participants noted benefits extending to how they reacted to their social environment and perceived themselves more objectively from others' perspectives. Specific elements of MIT, including self-compassion, self-care, and the ability to reflect on emotionally arousing challenges, might have mediated these improvements. Family dementia caregivers perceived salutary benefits of MIT on multiple domains of well-being. The self reports suggest MIT holds promise for improving well-being, reducing non-mentalizing patterns of thought, and facilitating improvements in balanced mentalization within the caregivers' relationships.

The Relationship between Caregiving Stress and Depression in the Family Caregivers of Dementia Patients: a Parallel Multiple Mediating Effect of Coping Styles and Caregiver Guilt

연구목적: 본 연구의 목적은 치매 환자 돌봄 가족들의 돌봄 스트레스가 우울감에 영향을 미치는 과정에서 돌봄 가족의 돌봄 스트레스, 대처방식, 돌봄 죄책감, 우울감의 관계를 살펴보고, 대처방식과 돌봄 죄책감의 다중병렬 매개효과를 알아보는 것이다. 연구방법: 치매 환자 돌봄 가족 204명이 돌봄 스트레스, 우울감, 대처방식, 돌봄 죄책감에 대한 온라인 설문에 참여했고 이 중에서 중복참여와 미완성 설문지를 제외하고 123명의 자료를 SPSS 프로그램을 사용하여 Hayes (2018) PROCESS macro의 다중병렬 매개모형으로 분석하였다. 연구 결과: 돌봄 스트레스는 우울감에 직접적인 영향을 주었다. 또한 돌봄 스트레스가 높을수록 우울감, 대처방식 중 정서중심 대처와 소망적 사고, 그리고 돌봄 죄책감의 수준이 높아졌다. 대처방식과 돌봄 죄책감의 다중병렬 매개효과를 검증한 결과 돌봄 죄책감만이 매개효과를 나타내었다. 결론: 치매 돌봄 가족의 우울감 예방을 위해서 돌봄 죄책감의 관리가 필요하며 대처방식의 효과를 규명하기 위해서는 추후 연구가 필요하다.

What Types of Burden Experienced by Family Caregivers of Dementia Patients Are Related to Their Life Satisfaction?

As the burdens related to dementia caregiving are vast, this study aimed to examine the relationship between life satisfaction and different types of burden reported by family caregivers of patients with dementia. Data from the 2019 Korea Community Health Survey were used. The association between life satisfaction and caregiving burden reported by family caregivers of patients with dementia was investigated using multivariable regression analysis. These burdens resulted from social prejudice and temporal, physical, psychological, or economic reasons. Life Satisfaction was measured using the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Better Life Index. Subgroup analysis was performed based on the residing status of patients with dementia and the region of residence of the caregiver. Data of 12617 participants were analyzed. Compared with individuals with no burden, those who reported a burden due to temporal (β=-0.23, p=.003), psychological (β=-0.18, p < .001), and economic (β=-0.27, p < .001) demands showed poorer levels of life satisfaction. These tendencies were maintained in caregivers residing with patients and those providing care for institutionalized patients. Regarding the region where the caregiver lived, for those living in rural regions, burdens related to social prejudice or economical demands were associated with poor life satisfaction. Family caregivers reporting caregiving-related burdens for temporal, psychological, or economic reasons had lower life satisfaction. These findings suggest the importance of considering caregiver's different needs and conditions when implementing coping strategies when caring for individuals with dementia.

P2.04-02 Psychosocial Burdens in Cancer Caregivership, an Updated Overview

Carers of cancer patients have a larger hardship than caregivers of older persons and a burden equivalent to caregivers of dementia patients. While carers' health has been demonstrated to worsen as a result of their caregiving for cancer patients, the psychological determinants of long-term health deterioration are less well understood.

The Effect of the Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold Model Training Program on Depression and Care Burden in Dementia Patient Caregivers

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold training program on depression and care burden in dementia patient caregivers.&#x0D; Materials and Methods. We applied an experimental model based on a pretest-posttest control group. The sample consisted of 140 dementia caregivers (the experimental group and the control group with 70 participants per group). The sample size was determined, and the participants were allocated to groups using power analysis. Data of the study were collected between April 15, 2016 and July 15, 2016. For the pre-test, both groups were provided with the Sociodemographic Characteristics Form, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Caregiver Burden of Dementia Patient Caregiver Scale (CBDPCS) to be filled in. Then, the experimenter visited the homes of the experimental group patients twice at 2-week intervals to provide nursing care based on the Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold Model. Finally, after 8 weeks, the post-test was conducted by letting both groups complete the Sociodemographic Characteristics Form, the BDI, and the CBDPCS once again. Percentage, chi-square, in independent and dependent sample t-tests were used to evaluate the related data.&#x0D; Results. The mean BDI score was 15.61 ± 10.97 in the pre-test and 11.08 ± 8.82 in the post-test (t=6.738, p=0.001). The mean pre-test and post-test total CBDPCS scores of caregivers were 67.02 ± 16.23 and 59.27 ± 15.25, respectively (t=5.974, p=0.001). The difference between the intergroup comparison of the mean experiment and control group post-test scores was statistically significant (p=0.001) on the CBDPCS and the total BDI score.&#x0D; Conclusions. Our results suggest that education provided to caregivers can efficiently decrease their care burden and depression levels.

Burden of caregivers of dementia patients and affecting factors in Turkey: A Systematic Review

To determine the burden on the caregivers of dementia patients and the factors affecting the perception of it. The current systematic review was done in Turkey and comprised a search between October 2019 and March 2020 on Turkish and English indices, including the Turkish Academic Network and Information Center database, Web of Science, PubMed, Education Resources Information Centre, Medline, SocINDEX, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, Ulusal Tez Merkezi, Dergipark and Turk Medline. The key words used were 'Demans', 'alzheimer', 'bakım verenler', 'hastalık yükü', 'dementia', 'alzheimer's', 'caregivers' and 'burden of illness'. Studies included were those having been conducted from 2010 to 2019 and which used the Personal Information Form, the Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale and the Caregiver Burden Inventory. Of the 4,182 studies initially found, 502(12%) were accessed using Turkish key words, and 3,680(88%) using English key words. Overall, 16(0.38%) studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. There were 2,060 caregivers and 414 patients in these studies. A high number of variables affected caregiver burden. Patient-related variables reported in multiple studies included time spent on caregiving, dementia stage, patient's age and level of patient's dependence. The most frequently reported caregiver-related variables which increased caregiver burden were being female, younger age, being unemployed, older age, lower education level.

HCI Design and Evaluation during Social Confinement: Reflections and Techniques

The pandemic brought a number of challenges that provoked a major impact on almost every human activity. In this new context, designers of technologies aimed at supporting mental or physical health are faced with a lack of principles and guidelines for successfully evaluating them, since health authori-ties impose social confinement as a standard safety measure. Moreover, mental health technologies become even more important and more challenging in such context of constrain and anxiety. We discuss the design and evaluation of (i) a system for helping university students avoid smartphone overuse; (ii) a mobile system to support informal caregivers of dementia patients; and (iii) a VR-based system aimed at improving mental well-being. The design and evaluation of these systems was entirely performed during social confinement. We present a list of risks, challenges and lessons learned, as well as the techniques we employed to effectively overcome these limitations. Incorporating motivational or persuasive factors into the solutions was the key objective and we organize our reflections around reliability, usefulness and intrusiveness.

Home-Based Care in the Context of COVID-19: Disruptions, Innovations, and Lessons for the Future

During the initial surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, home-based primary and palliative care (HBPC) practices played a valuable role in maintaining access to health-related services and keeping older, medically complex patients out of hospitals and congregate settings that could heighten their risk for COVID-19. At the same time, these practices faced unique challenges in adapting a traditionally hands-on model of care to accommodate restrictions on in-person contact. In this symposium, we present innovative research highlighting the challenges faced by HBPC practices and patients during spring 2020, as well as their rapid innovations and adaptations. First, Ritchie et al. provide national context with findings from a survey of U.S. home-based primary care practices that highlights the field’s most pressing challenges and successful strategies. Shifting to the initial epicenter of the pandemic in New York City, Reckrey et al. present a qualitative study of the perspectives of paid and unpaid caregivers of dementia patients served by an HBPC practice, while Franzosa et al. describe care disruptions among individuals with dementia who died during the initial surge, using a novel chart-based abstraction technique. Finally, two studies (Gorbenko et al. and Kalicki et al.) explore HBPC practices’ experience of rapidly transitioning to telehealth through qualitative interviews with NYC-based practices and a provider survey exploring telehealth adoption and readiness in the homebound population. Together, these studies yield important insights into the challenges of providing community-based care for at-risk populations during a pandemic, and practical strategies for home-based models of care moving forward.

Do Family Caregivers of Dementia Patients Feel Competent in Pain Management?

Older adults with dementia rely on others to recognize and treat their pain and will ultimately become dependent. Family caregivers (FCGs) play a crucial role in pain management, yet limited data is available regarding the factors that impact their abilities. This qualitative descriptive study sought a deep understanding of FCGs perception of their abilities to manage pain for a loved-one with dementia. A sample of 25 adult family caregivers of community-based older adults with dementia was recruited in central Virginia. Participants were 29 to 95 years old, predominantly white, married, female, and high school graduates. We conducted semi-structured interviews that were audio recorded and analyzed using constant comparative analysis. Participants’ who perceived greater competence with pain management reported less pain for their loved-one, and their level of confidence was influenced by 3 factors: progress and stage of dementia: this increases the complexity of care, affecting FCGs ability to manage pain and engendering a self-perception of incompetence; developing adaptive mechanisms: built self-efficacy and improved FCGs perceived competence;, and support from professionals: a greater degree of support alleviated FCGs concerns and instill new skills, Effective pain management depended on family caregivers’ belief in their own abilities, and perceived competence could be improved by learning new skills or making adaptations. Professional care givers need to routinely assess FCGs abilities and provide adequate interventions.

Use of Actigraphy on sleep outcomes for dementia family caregivers: an integrative review

Sleep difficulties are one of the foremost health problems that affect family caregivers of dementia patients increasing their risk for a host of mental health problems and hastening dementia patients’ transitions to long-term care facilities. This integrative review aims to describe the objective measurement of sleep quality parameters of family caregivers using actigraphy and how well they are associated with self-reported subjective measures of sleep outcomes and psychological states. A search was performed using PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycInfo including articles from 2011 to 2020. Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria. Five sleep interventions (2 RCTs and 3 pre-post design) were found, including multi-component interventions (e.g., sleep hygiene, walking, day-time light therapy) that used actigraphy and other self-report measures. Duration of wearing actigraphy (wrist band/watch) varied in studies (3-days to 8-weeks). Most studies reported high accuracy and sensitivity of actigraphy. Sleep parameters measured by actigraphy included ‘total sleep time’, ‘sleep efficiency’, ‘deep/light sleep’, or ‘wake time after sleep onset’. In eight studies, sleep parameters measured by actigraphy were significantly associated with sleep outcomes measured by sleep related self-reported scales (Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, all Ps<.05). Eleven studies used actigraphy to examine sleep measures associated with various mental health states (depression, burden, stress, positive/negative affect) and found significant relationships (All Ps <.05). Findings support that use of actigraphy for dementia family caregivers is a valid measure of sleep parameters when compared with their sleep self-reports. Furthermore, it was found that actigraphy sleep measures were significantly associated with psychological outcomes.

Caregiver Burden Is Associated With Dementia Patient Cognitive Performance in NHATS

Informal caregivers of dementia patients engage in multicomponent care that is often stressful. In heart failure patients, caregiver burden has been associated with occurrence of cardiovascular events. However, little is known about how caregiver burden affects patient cognition in dementia care dyads. Using data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study and National Study of Caregiving, we examined the association between caregiver burden, assessed on 38 aspects of caring, and patient cognition, assessed with the immediate and delay word recall, Clock Drawing, and self-rated memory. In fully adjusted models at round 7 (2017) higher caregiver burden was cross-sectionally associated with lower immediate (B=-0.02, 95% CI -0.03, -0.01) and delayed (B=-0.03, 95% CI -0.04, -0.02) word recall. Longitudinally, across rounds 7-9 (2017-2019) higher burden was associated with lower patient Clock Draw score (B=-0.01, 95% CI -0.03, -0.001). These findings have implications for economic assistance and interventions in dementia care dyad.

Compliance‐without‐pressure techniques to enhance the implementation of psychosocial interventions in Alzheimer’s research

AbstractBackgroundOver the past 30 years more than 200 interventions, targeting the caregivers of dementia patients, have been examined and found to be effective on the basis of randomized clinical trials. Only 3% of this large collection of psychosocial interventions was translated into daily practice. The primary objective of this study is to determine facilitators and barriers for implementing psychosocial interventions in Alzheimer’s research and to come up with communicational strategies to overcome possible obstacles and resistance. The secondary objective is to describe the different challenges between implementing a digital tool in the home environment versus the residential setting.MethodWe recruited professional caregivers in homecare (n=14) and the residential setting (n=24). Both groups were enrolled in a similar intervention trajectory of 36 weeks to assist people with dementia and their loved ones using a mobile health application (‘MemoryHome’). Participants were trained in employing the technology to construct personalized memory walks through the known environment of dementia patients. The participants kept a diary to report all types of resistance and possible obstacles specific to homecare or the residential setting. Simultaneously, the caregivers received a communicational training (4 monthly sessions of 120min) based on several compliance‐without‐pressure‐techniques to encourage dementia patients and their significant others to cooperate with the intervention and to continue performing the walks regularly.ResultThe implementation of psychosocial interventions in Alzheimer’s research can be enhanced through communicational training focusing on compliance‐without‐pressure‐techniques (f.i. foot‐in‐the‐door, illusion of choice, errorless learning, sensory variety, future perspective, sense‐of‐agency and positive reinforcement). The condition of homecare and residential setting had specific facilitators (f.i. more involved family members in homecare) and barriers (f.i. decreased health conditions in the residential care setting).ConclusionThe results suggest that the challenge for the future of psychosocial interventions is not so much to come up with new inventions, but to motivate people to actually use existing instruments. Adapting the intervention to the possibilities of the living environment and stimulating the significant others to collaborate, for example by means of compliance‐without‐pressure techniques, can provide a crucial added value for upcoming Alzheimer’s treatments.

Psychological distress of dementia patient caregivers residing in Russia and Kazakhstan

The present work addresses the question of psychological distress of the caregivers of patients with dementia. The research covers caregivers residing in Russia and Kazakhstan. The thesis starts with concluding the pre-existing knowledge on the research question, from which the author develops the methods for collection of the primary data. Methodology of the research is designed to analyze the data in a qualitative approach. The thesis builds an understanding of the state of psychological distress in which caregivers of Kazakhstan and Russia live in. To do that, the author conducted a survey with range of multiple choice and open questions that examined the stress triggers and proof of the existence of stress in their lives based on answers. A total of 52 active caregivers answered to a survey consisting of 22 questions. The results show that Russian and Kazakhstani caregivers experience moderate to severe levels of psychological distress due to insufficient funding and informational support, among other reasons.

Burden &amp; Coping in Caregivers of Persons with Dementia

Background: Dementia is a serious loss of global cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging. Dementia is often associated with physical, mental and financial burden. Care giving is associated with more psychological complaints & coping is most often conceptualized as a response to the demands of specific stressful situations. Aim: To assess the burden in caregiver of persons with dementia and also assess the coping strategies used by the caregivers. Settings and design: The study was conducted in the Department of Psychiatry, Assam Medical College & Hospital, Dibrugarh. The subjects for the study were recruited from the outpatient & indoor facilities of the department of Psychiatry, Assam Medical College & Hospital, Dibrugarh. After application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, (n=40) cases of Dementia and theircaregivers (n=40) were included in the study. Materials &Methods: Diagnosis of dementia was done by fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IVTR).The tools used were Burden Assessment Schedule by Thara et al 15 , Assamese version of ways of Coping Questionnaire by Susan Folkman and Richard S. Lazarus 16-17 . Statistical analysis was done by using SPSS- 20. Results: The results revealed that level of burden reported by caregivers of dementia patients was high. The most common coping strategies used by caregivers of Dementia patients were confronting coping (72%), distancing(45%), seeking social support(45%) and self-controlling (45%). Conclusion: The various findings in our study evidence that dementia can have serious consequences on families particularly the primary caregivers. Results highlight the importance of improving the mixed coping skills in burdened caregivers. Keywords:Dementia, caregivers, Burden, Coping strategies

Behavioral, Environmental and Pharmacotherapy Challenges in Dementia during COVID-19 Pandemic: Solutions and Management Issues

With the increase in the world's elderly population, age-related disorders such as cognitive disorders and dementia have increased in this group, and with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, many of the world's rules and regulations have changed, and personal protection recommendations against infection have been recommended by various medical centers, which is very challenging for patients with dementia and can even lead to the development or exacerbation of behavioral symptoms in their everyday life.&#x0D; On the other hand, caregivers of dementia patients are exposed to the burden of disease caused by the stress of transmitting infection along with the usual care needed for dementia patients, which has definitely increased this time during the pandemic. Therefore, caregivers of dementia patients, both at home and in care centers, need the advice to care for patients and prevent pandemic physical and psychological complications on themselves and their patients.&#x0D; Regarding the administration of drugs effective on COVID-19 infection and the possibility of their interaction with drugs prescribed in patients with dementia or cognitive complications, delirium, and exacerbation of dementia, there is a need for solutions that are briefly reviewed in this report. It is hoped to provide assistance and support in providing services and care to dementia patients, health care providers, and physicians.

The Carers\u2019 Needs Assessment for Dementia (CNA-D): a validation study in the Italian population

BackgroundDementia has devastating consequences for families with important physical, psychological, social, and financial effects. Evaluation of caregiver’s needs may be an important step to reduce the burden of family caregivers of dementia patients. An Austrian scale, the Carers’ Needs Assessment for Dementia, is now available for measuring the caregiver’s needs. The aim of our study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the CNA-D (iCNA-D).MethodsA sample of 214 voluntary caregivers of dementia patients was recruited at the Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin (Italy). All participants were administered the iCNA-D. Validity and reliability of the instrument were evaluated using Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), and the Italian version of Zarit Burden Interview (I-ZBI).ResultsThe most common unmet need reported for the iCNA-D was “counseling and emotional support” (31.5%). This item demonstrates adequate reliability with moderate internal consistency for all “summary scores” of iCNA-D (α ≥ 0.75) and split-half correlation of more than 0.80 for two of them. We also found positive correlations in two out of three “summary scores” of iCNA-D and in the overall outcomes of BDI, BAI, SCL-90, and I-ZBI.ConclusionsThe iCNA-D could be a valid and reliable tool for a comprehensive assessment of needs and possible social supports proposed to relatives who take care of patients with dementia. Better understanding of family caregivers’ needs could improve planning of local services and reduce caregivers’ perception of distress and burden.

Factors impacting Catecholamines in Caregivers of Patients with Dementia

Background: Caregivers of dementia patients have significantly higher levels of serum IL-6 and CRP compared to non-caregivers, and the accumulation of everyday stressors reportedly promotes the induction of inflammatory markers. However, few studies have identified factors that affect catecholamine levels in caregivers who experience a combination of physical and mental stress from caregiving.Purpose: This study aimed to identify physical factors that impact catecholamine levels in caregivers of dementia patients.Methods: Participants were elderly caregivers living together with elderly Alzheimer’s-type dementia patients. We performed logistic regression analysis, with levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine (indicators of catecholamine) as dependent variables.Results: Caregiver BMI had a significant impact on adrenaline levels (OR: 0.792; 95%CI: 0.654-0.960) and noradrenaline levels (OR: 1.210; 95%CI: 1.009-1.451), whereas age had a significant impact on dopamine levels (OR: 1.162; 95%CI: 1.019-1.324).Discussion: While caregiver BMI significantly impacted adrenaline and noradrenaline levels, the mechanism underlying these relationships is unclear. One possibility is that obesity (BMI) and a rise in sympathetic nerve activity contributed to hypertension. Our findings suggest that chronic stress in elderly caregivers may potentially impair the dopaminergic activation system in the brain.Conclusion: There is a need to identify factors which increase BMI in caregivers. Future studies aimed at gaining a better understanding of the lifestyle habits of caregivers and intervention studies aimed at reducing their BMI are warranted.