Health Care Tasks by Dementia Caregivers
Author Information
Author(s): Zuber Mohammed, Borate Samruddhi Nandkumar, Tan Chia Jie, Li Niying
Primary Institution: University of Georgia
Hypothesis
Informal caregivers of older adults with dementia perform a variety of healthcare-related tasks.
Conclusion
Informal dementia caregivers are involved in a wide range of complex healthcare-related tasks, highlighting the need for training and support from the healthcare system.
Supporting Evidence
- Medication management was the most common task reported, with 41% to 86% of caregivers involved.
- Caregivers also performed wound and skin care tasks, with involvement ranging from 7% to 47%.
- Advocacy and care coordination tasks were reported by 27% to 73% of caregivers.
- Caregivers participated in medical and treatment decisions in 41% of cases.
Takeaway
People who help take care of older adults with dementia do a lot of important health tasks, and they need more help and training to do these jobs well.
Methodology
A systematic review of articles from PubMed, Embase, PsychInfo, and CINAHL was conducted, focusing on studies from the U.S. that reported on healthcare tasks performed by informal dementia caregivers.
Limitations
Only four studies included racial and ethnic minority caregivers, and all studies were cross-sectional.
Participant Demographics
Majority of caregivers were female and spousal caregivers.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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