The caregiver burden of dementia patients in a military population: a descriptive study

BACKGROUND:Dementia affects not only the person with the disease, also the caregiver, who represents a fundamental part in the management of patients with dementia.OBJECTIVE:The main objective of the present study was to describe the caregiver burden in a group of caregivers of patients with dementia at the Central Military Hospital, exploring possible associations between the burden and variables dependent on the care subject.DESIGN:Longitudinal descriptive study.CONTEXT:patients who come to a consultation at the Central Military Hospital between August 2016 and April 2018.MEASUREMENTS:Demographic data were obtained from the caregiver and the patient with dementia (binomial: caregiver - patient), the Zarit scale was applied for the measurement of the degree of caregiver burden, and functional assessment of the patient with dementia (using Barthel scale and Clinical Dementia Rating -CDR), hospital admissions of the patient with dementia were recorded during 1 year.RESULTS:50 caregivers and 50 patients with dementia were included in the study. 45 (90 %) caregivers were women, with an average age of 60 years (SD: 15 min-max 24-85). The caregiver burden was intense in 33 (66 %) caregivers, the feeling of self-abandonment was the main dimension of the burden reported. The higher burden is associated with the higher clinical deterioration of dementia (CDR = 3, P = 0.008), but not with the functional state on the Barthel scale.