title: Health economic analysis on a psychosocial intervention for family caregivers of persons with dementia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Psychosocial intervention has shown positive effects on the caregivers' burden and satisfaction. The aims of this study were to describe the cost and cost-effectiveness of such an intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed resource use and costs of formal care for 308 persons with dementia and their caregivers' health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The costs of home help services were lower in the subgroup of spouse caregivers in the intervention group and the cost of nursing home placement was lower in the intervention group. While the person with dementia lived at home, caregivers in the intervention group reported a higher HRQoL (p < 0.01). After the person with dementia had moved to a nursing home, spouses in the control group had a lower HRQoL (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The result can be interpreted as a positive effect of the intervention focusing on the identified specific needs of the family caregivers.
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Beth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dahlrup
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nordell
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Steen Carlsson
authors.forename: Sölve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elmståhl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003704:Dementia / Q000191:economics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D040841:Resource Allocation / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013660:Taxes / Q000191:economics