title: Spouses of persons with dementia: their healthcare problems, utilization, and costs.
abstract: Spouses of persons with dementia (PWD) often experience poor health outcomes related to the experience of living with the afflicted spouse. Using the Anderson and Aday Healthcare Utilization Model, we conducted a retrospective review of an administrative database from a private healthcare insurer to compare health problems that precipitate utilization, patterns of utilization, and costs of care of spouses of PWD (n = 979) to those of spouses of persons without dementia (n = 979). Spouses of PWD were treated for more anxiety disorders (OR = 2.97; 95% CI = 1.63-5.44), falls (OR = 7.72; 95% CI = 2.73-21.84), rheumatologic diseases (OR = 2.5; 95% CI = 1.24-5.06), and diabetes with no complications (OR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.06-2.22), but less pneumonia (OR =.55; 95%; CI =.35-.88) than comparison spouses. Spouses of PWD had a higher number of emergency room (ER) visits (p =.01). There were no differences in costs between the groups. The findings can be used to develop interventions for spouses of PWD.
authors.affiliation: The Pennsylvania State University, 307 Health & Human Development East, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
authors.forename: Ann M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kolanowski
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fick
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Waller
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shea
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003704:Dementia / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006296:Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data