Characterizing Risk Factors for Burden in Caregivers to Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia
Presenter Type
UNO Graduate Student (Doctoral)
Major/Field of Study
Gerontology
Advisor Information
Janelle Beadle
Location
MBSC306 - G (Doctoral)
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
24-3-2023 9:00 AM
End Date
24-3-2023 10:15 AM
Abstract
Background: Due to the stressful nature of caregiving, family caregivers are at greater risk for physical and mental health conditions than non-caregivers. Greater caregiver burden (i.e., perceived financial, social, physical, and emotional strain associated with caregiving) can negatively impact caregiver health and well-being.
Methods: This pilot study investigated the degree to which caregiver burden is affected by dementia type and relationships with loneliness and emotion regulation. Participants included three older female caregivers (mean age = 70.3) whose care recipients had a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Each participant completed online questionnaires assessing demographic and caregiving characteristics, caregiver burden, loneliness, and emotion regulation.
Results:We found that the caregiver whose care recipient had a diagnosis of FTD reported the highest level of burden, followed by lower burden in the caregiver providing care to the recipient with AD, and little to no burden in the caregiver providing care to the recipient with MCI. Furthermore, the caregiver with the highest level of burden also had the highest level of loneliness and suppression of emotional expressions (a type of emotion regulation).
Conclusions: This pilot study provides preliminary evidence that caregivers to individuals with FTD have higher levels of burden, loneliness, and emotion expression suppression than caregivers to care recipients with AD or MCI. Future research plans include additional data collection to acquire a larger sample, as well as examining the degree to which caregiver burden is affected by caregiver characteristics, age, and gender.
Scheduling
9:15-10:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m.-Noon, 1-2:15 p.m.
Characterizing Risk Factors for Burden in Caregivers to Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia
MBSC306 - G (Doctoral)
Background: Due to the stressful nature of caregiving, family caregivers are at greater risk for physical and mental health conditions than non-caregivers. Greater caregiver burden (i.e., perceived financial, social, physical, and emotional strain associated with caregiving) can negatively impact caregiver health and well-being.
Methods: This pilot study investigated the degree to which caregiver burden is affected by dementia type and relationships with loneliness and emotion regulation. Participants included three older female caregivers (mean age = 70.3) whose care recipients had a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Each participant completed online questionnaires assessing demographic and caregiving characteristics, caregiver burden, loneliness, and emotion regulation.
Results:We found that the caregiver whose care recipient had a diagnosis of FTD reported the highest level of burden, followed by lower burden in the caregiver providing care to the recipient with AD, and little to no burden in the caregiver providing care to the recipient with MCI. Furthermore, the caregiver with the highest level of burden also had the highest level of loneliness and suppression of emotional expressions (a type of emotion regulation).
Conclusions: This pilot study provides preliminary evidence that caregivers to individuals with FTD have higher levels of burden, loneliness, and emotion expression suppression than caregivers to care recipients with AD or MCI. Future research plans include additional data collection to acquire a larger sample, as well as examining the degree to which caregiver burden is affected by caregiver characteristics, age, and gender.