title: [Annual economic cost of informal care in Alzheimer's disease].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The indirect cost associated with the care of patients with Alzheimer's disease is taken on primarily by the family.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the cost associated with time dedication, its annual evolution, associated characteristics and related caregiver burden.
  
  
  METHODS
  Non-institutionalized patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease who are managed on an out-patient basis in a diagnosis unit and their primary caregivers. Prospective and observational study conducted over 12 months. The patient's clinical features were assessed using the Cambrigde Cognitive Examination Revised for cognitive capacity, the Disability Assessment in Dementia for functional capacity and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory for non-cognitive disorders. Sociodemographic data were collected by means of the Cambridge Examination for Mental Disorders of the Elderly Revised. The caregiver's dedication, sociodemographic characteristics and burden (by means of the Zarit interview) were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sample comprised of 169 patients and 169 caregivers. The cost at baseline was 6364.8 euro/year, and was mainly associated with support in instrumental activities. At 12 months, an overall increase of 29% was observed (1846.8 euro/year). Cost increase was associated with physical (F = 25.2; df = 1; p < 0.001) and cognitive (F = 8.5; df = 1; p = 0.004) disability, patient age (F = 9.2; df = 1; p = 0.003) and with whether the caregiver was the only caregiver or not (F = 20.4; df = 1; p < 0.001). The cost of care explained 6.7% of the total variance of the burden perceived by caregivers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Care has a mean indirect cost of 6364.2 euro/year, with an annual increase of 29% that was associated with physical and cognitive disability, patient age and having one single caregiver.
authors.affiliation: Unitat de Recerca, Institut d'Assistència Sanitària de Girona, Salt, Girona, España. oriol.turro@ias.scs.es
authors.forename: Oriol
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Turró-Garriga
authors.forename: Secundino
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: López-Pousa
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vilalta-Franch
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Turon-Estrada
authors.forename: Imma
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pericot-Nierga
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lozano-Gallego
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernández-Ferràndiz
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Soler-Cors
authors.forename: Xènia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Planas-Pujol
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Monserrat-Vila
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garre-Olmo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*; D017028:Caregivers; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies