Impact of Alzheimer's disease on the family caregiver's long-term quality of life: results from an ALSOVA follow-up study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine caregivers' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and well-being during the first 3 years after their family member's Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis and assessed the relationship between caregivers' HRQoL, well-being, and the severity of AD. Further, to compare of caregivers' HRQoL to general population.


METHODS
Longitudinal design (36 months) after AD diagnosis of 236 caregiver-patient dyads. Linear regression was used to assess age- and gender-adjusted association between repeated measurements of caregivers' HRQoL and the severity of AD. For comparison with general population, the National Health 2011 Health Examination Survey data was utilized.


RESULTS
Caregivers had significantly lower HRQoL than age- and gender-standardized counterparts. Severity of AD was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with the mobility and depression dimensions of caregiver's HRQoL but not with the total HRQoL index score.


CONCLUSIONS
Caregivers' HRQoL seems to deteriorate earlier than previously noted. The severity of AD has not that great impact on caregiver's HRQoL as assumed.
Department of Nursing Science, University of Eastern Finland, P.O.Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland. tarja.valimaki@uef.fi.|Unit of Nursing Development, Clinical Education and Research, Kuopio University Hospital (KYS), P.O.Box 100, 70029, Kuopio, Finland. tarja.valimaki@uef.fi.
Tarja H
TH
Välimäki
Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research Unit, School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, P.O.Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland. janne.martikainen@uef.fi.
Janne A
JA
Martikainen
Department of Geriatrics, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, P.O.Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland. kristiina.hongisto@kuh.fi.
Kristiina
K
Hongisto
Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research Unit, School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, P.O.Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland.
Saku
S
Väätäinen
Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, PL 41, 00014, Helsinki, Finland. harri.sintonen@helsinki.fi.
Harri
H
Sintonen
Institute of Clinical Medicine, Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, P.O.Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland. anne.koivisto@kuh.fi.|Neurology of Neuro Center, Kuopio University Hospital (KYS), P.O.Box 100, 70029, Kuopio, Finland. anne.koivisto@kuh.fi.
Anne M
AM
Koivisto
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000451:nursing*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
15D; Alzheimer’s disease; Family caregivers; Health-related quality of life; Psychological distress