title: Do spouse caregivers of young and older persons with dementia have different needs? A comparative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to explore the needs of spouse caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD) and then to compare them based on the PWD's age at disease onset. This data could be used to adapt support programmes to address differences between the two groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight spouse caregivers of persons with late-onset dementia and 40 spouse caregivers of persons with early-onset dementia (PEOD) agreed to participate in the study. The mean ± SD age of the PEOD was 57.6 ± 4.0 years, whereas it was 80.9 ± 5.3 years for the persons with late-onset dementia. Interviews were conducted in the spouse caregivers' homes with only the spouse caregiver. The semi-structured interviews were based on the French version of the Carers Outcome Agreement Tool. The interviews were analyzed in two steps. The first step was qualitative to identify needs. The data were thematically analyzed using QSR NVivo 10. The second step was quantitative to compare the needs depending on the PWD's age at onset. The comparison between the two groups was performed using the χ2test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results demonstrated that the majority of needs are the same for the two groups of spouse caregivers. All caregivers need to unwind, to stimulate and pay attention to the PWD, to break the isolation, and to be more prepared and confident. However, some differences emerge, with the spouse caregivers of PEOD expressing a greater number of needs. The caregivers of PEOD seem to have a greater need to interact and maintain contacts with other people (P = 0.001), have more general care-related needs (P = 0.005), require more appropriate care structures (P = 0.037), and need greater assistance with administrative procedures (P = 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To improve spouse caregivers' well-being and sense of efficiency, it would be interesting to develop a support programme with a common framework and specific modules depending on the PWD's age at disease onset.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory SCALab, UMR CNRS 9193, Lille, France.|Addiction service, Roubaix Hospital, Roubaix, France.
authors.forename: Emilie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wawrziczny
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Memory Research and Resources Clinic at the University Hospital of Lille, University of Lille, Villeneuve d'Ascq, Lille, France.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pasquier
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Geriatrics of Montreal, Montreal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Francine
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ducharme
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Geriatrics of Montreal, Montreal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Marie-Jeanne
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kergoat
authors.affiliation: Laboratory SCALab, UMR CNRS 9193, Lille, France.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Antoine
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: comparison; early-onset dementia; late-onset dementia; needs; spouse caregivers