Caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's Disease: cultural differences in perceived caregiver burden in Guatemala and Rhode Island.

The intent of this study is to illustrate cultural differences in the amount of perceived burden for primary caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's Disease. Caregivers in Guatemala and Rhode Island were given a questionnaire exploring: caregiver well-being, available supports, traditional ideology, and perceived burden. The data indicate that Guatemalans have less institutional and more informal supports available, as compared with USA caregivers. Guatemalan caregivers brought patients to a doctor sooner after the appearance of their first symptoms (0.9+/-1.0 years versus 1.6+/-1.8 years) and had poorer perceived health than USA subjects, suggesting a higher level of caregiver burden. Cultural response bias however may account for the difference in perceived health.