title: Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease: views from the population about hiring a health care advocate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with considerable caregiver and social burden. It is important to examine ways to minimize the negative effects of AD. Health care advocates (HCAs) may be one means of limiting the aversive effects of AD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed a short survey that assessed their perceptions of the impact of comorbid AD on health status and their likelihood of hiring an HCA to assist in managing it. A mediational model was proposed: cognitive status (AD vs cognitively healthy) was the independent variable, perception of severity was the mediator, and the probability of hiring an HCA was the dependent variable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicated that the relationship between cognitive status and probability of hiring an HCA was fully mediated by perceptions of severity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that participants appreciated the impact of AD on health status, and this translated into a greater probability of hiring an HCA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92120, USA. cavanliew@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Charles Van
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Liew
authors.forename: Terry A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Cronan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017008:Negotiating / Q000523:psychology*; D010344:Patient Advocacy / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult