Chung-Ying Lin1, Pei-Yu Shih2, Li-Jung Elizabeth Ku3. 1. Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong. 2. ESH (Environment Safety and Health) Management Department, Innolux Corporation, Tainan, Taiwan. 3. Department of Public Health, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. Electronic address: eljku@mail.ncku.edu.tw.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Due to the presence of neuropsychiatric behaviors and the decreased ability for activities of daily living (ADLs), family caregivers experience high burden levels in caring for people with dementia (PWD). This study sought to test the mediating role of caregiving hours in association with PWDs' ability for basic activities of daily living (BADL) function or neuropsychiatric behaviors and caregiver burden. METHODS: This study used two waves of survey data, collected between 2013 and 2016, from 186 PWD-caregiver dyads in a dementia clinic at a teaching hospital in southern Taiwan. Two sets of multiple linear regression models were used to analyze the relationships between the changes in patients' BADL function, patients' neuropsychiatric behaviors, caregiving hours in ADL (including BADL and Instrumental ADL), and caregiver burden (measured using Zarit Burden Interview). Bootstrapping methods were used to detect the mediating effects of caregiving hours in ADL if the 95% confidence interval (CI) did not cover 0. RESULTS: Caregiving hours in BADL mediated the relationship of PWDs' BADL function and caregiver burden (effect = -0.0137, 95% bootstrap CI = -0.0379, -0.0003). However, such mediating effects were not found in the relationship of PWDs' neuropsychiatric behaviors and caregiver burden. CONCLUSIONS: In order to relieve caregiver burden, respite care services for caregivers for PWD should target services that assist with PWD's BADL.
OBJECTIVE: Due to the presence of neuropsychiatric behaviors and the decreased ability for activities of daily living (ADLs), family caregivers experience high burden levels in caring for people with dementia (PWD). This study sought to test the mediating role of caregiving hours in association with PWDs' ability for basic activities of daily living (BADL) function or neuropsychiatric behaviors and caregiver burden. METHODS: This study used two waves of survey data, collected between 2013 and 2016, from 186 PWD-caregiver dyads in a dementia clinic at a teaching hospital in southern Taiwan. Two sets of multiple linear regression models were used to analyze the relationships between the changes in patients' BADL function, patients' neuropsychiatric behaviors, caregiving hours in ADL (including BADL and Instrumental ADL), and caregiver burden (measured using Zarit Burden Interview). Bootstrapping methods were used to detect the mediating effects of caregiving hours in ADL if the 95% confidence interval (CI) did not cover 0. RESULTS: Caregiving hours in BADL mediated the relationship of PWDs' BADL function and caregiver burden (effect = -0.0137, 95% bootstrap CI = -0.0379, -0.0003). However, such mediating effects were not found in the relationship of PWDs' neuropsychiatric behaviors and caregiver burden. CONCLUSIONS: In order to relieve caregiver burden, respite care services for caregivers for PWD should target services that assist with PWD's BADL.
Authors: Eva Calderón-Rubio; Javier Oltra-Cucarella; Beatriz Bonete-López; Clara Iñesta; Esther Sitges-Maciá Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-12-09 Impact factor: 3.390