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P‐143: Family members' perceptions of palliative care service needs of advanced dementia patients
Author(s) -
Hirschman Karen B.,
Kapo Jennifer M.,
Panzer Sarahlena,
Casarett David J.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2007.04.207
Subject(s) - dementia , palliative care , nursing , medicine , coping (psychology) , family caregivers , population , family medicine , disease , psychology , gerontology , psychiatry , environmental health , pathology
declining element associated with caregiver morbidity (Whelan 2001; Burton, Zdaniu, Schulz, Jackson, Hirsch). “Providing daily care to demented family members is a physically and emotionally exhausting task. Among the consequences is depression which is alarmingly common among these caregivers and is often severe” (Ferris 2002). Objective: To examine depression knowledge, attitude and help seeking behaviors among older African Americans caring for their loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease. Methods: With a representative sample, we developed a 12-item qualitative survey from a focus group structured with open-ended questions relative to depression and caregiving. The survey was self-administered during a 2005 “Live Healthy Georgia” health fair in a multi-purpose senior center. Results: Thirty-three African Americans aged 50-90 responded to this survey, of which twenty-five were caregivers. Of the twenty-five, fourteen were caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease and eleven were non-AD caregivers. Of the total sample population, 59% indicated that African American AD caregivers had no understanding of depression. Additionally, 69% of all caregivers indicated African American AD caregivers did not know how to seek help if they were depressed. Among fourteen African American AD caregivers, 69% agreed in strong association with age (Somers’ d 0.583, p 0.048). Additionally, 58% of non-AD caregivers answered that African American AD caregivers did not know how to seek help if they were depressed which was associated with age (lambda 1.0, p 0.003). Of all respondents, 87% indicated that African American AD caregivers grieve during the care of their loved one. There was a significant difference between the responses of AD and non-AD caregivers to this question (t-value 2.309; df 13; p 0.038). Of AD caregivers, 71% indicated African American AD caregivers grieve caring for their loved one; 100% of non-AD caregivers agreed. Conclusions: We may need further research in depression counseling intervention strategies among AD caregivers during and after the caring experience (Mittelman 2004). In 1999 the Surgeon General of the United States, David Satcher, MD, issued a report on mental health. His conclusions are our conclusions: “mental illnesses such as depression are real; treatment works; get help” (Satcher 2001).