title: The demands of family caregivers of elderly individuals with dementia.
abstract: The purpose of this cross-sectional observational study was to identify characteristics of caregivers of elderly people with dementia, types of care demands and to relate demands to the stage of dementia. The study was carried out in 2004 with 104 older adults and 90 caregivers in Ribeirão Preto, state of São Paulo. The OARS instrument was utilized and a questionnaire answered by caregivers. Among older adults, 66.3% were female, aged 75.5 years in average and 86.5% had caregivers. Eighty percent of the caregivers were women family members, aged 52.3 years in average. They spent 15.10 hours/day with care, without help. An important relationship was observed between caregiver's burden, physical and emotional effort and stage of dementia. Emotional overburden was higher at dementia early and late stages, this difference was statistically non-significant. Results reveal the urgent need to plan formal and informal support strategies to caregivers of Brazilian elderly people with dementia.
authors.affiliation: University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto, College of Nursing, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. alinegratao@eerp.usp.br
authors.forename: Aline Cristina Martins
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Gratao
authors.forename: Francisco de Assis Carvalho
authors.initials: Fde A
authors.lastname: do Vale
authors.forename: Matheus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roriz-Cruz
authors.forename: Vanderlei José
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: Celmira
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: Luana Flávia da Silva
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Talmelli
authors.forename: Rosalina Aparecida Partezani
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires