[Annual economic cost of informal care in Alzheimer's disease].
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.
Turró-Garriga
Oriol
O
Unitat de Recerca, Institut d'Assistència Sanitària de Girona, Salt, Girona, España. oriol.turro@ias.scs.es
López-Pousa
Secundino
S
Vilalta-Franch
Joan
J
Turon-Estrada
Antoni
A
Pericot-Nierga
Imma
I
Lozano-Gallego
Manuela
M
Hernández-Ferràndiz
Marta
M
Soler-Cors
Olga
O
Planas-Pujol
Xènia
X
Monserrat-Vila
Silvia
S
Garre-Olmo
Josep
J
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