Caregiver Burden in Alzheimer's Disease: Differential Associations in Adult-Child and Spousal Caregivers in the GERAS Observational Study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine factors influencing the caregiver burden in adult-child and spousal caregivers of community-dwelling patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).


METHODS
Baseline data from the 18-month, prospective, observational GERAS study of 1,497 patients with AD in France, Germany, and the UK were used. Analyses were performed on two groups of caregivers: spouses (n = 985) and adult children (n = 405). General linear models estimated patient and caregiver factors associated with subjective caregiver burden assessed using the Zarit Burden Interview.


RESULTS
The caregiver burden increased with AD severity. Adult-child caregivers experienced a higher burden than spousal caregivers despite spending less time caring. Worse patient functional ability and more caregiver distress were independently associated with a greater burden in both adult-child and spousal caregivers. Additional factors were differentially associated with a greater caregiver burden in both groups. In adult-child caregivers these were: living with the patient, patient living in an urban location, and patient with a fall in the past 3 months; in spouses the factors were: caregiver gender (female) and age (younger), and more years of patient education.


CONCLUSIONS
The perceived burden differed between adult-child and spousal caregivers, and specific patient and caregiver factors were differentially associated with this burden.
Eli Lilly and Company Limited, Windlesham, UK.
Catherine
C
Reed
Eli Lilly and Company Limited, Windlesham, UK.
Mark
M
Belger
Lilly Italy, Florence, University of Rome 'Sapienza', Rome, Italy.
Grazia
G
Dell'agnello
Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Anders
A
Wimo
Agencia Qualitat i Avaluació Sanitaries, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Josep Maria
JM
Argimon
University of Rome 'Sapienza', Rome, Italy.
Giuseppe
G
Bruno
Philipps University, Marburg, Germany.
Richard
R
Dodel
Parc Santari Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Josep Maria
JM
Haro
RICE (The Research Institute for the Care of Older People), Bath, UK.
Roy W
RW
Jones
Toulouse University Hospital, INSERM 1027, Toulouse, France.
Bruno
B
Vellas
Adult-child caregiver; Alzheimer's disease; Europe; Observational study; Spousal caregiver