Impact of care conditions on the caregiver's quality of life in cases with Alzheimer's disease

Background and objectives: The quality of life (QoL) of caregivers of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) patients shows individual variability. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the variability of caregiver burden under differing cases of AD care conditions. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, 321 AD caregivers were selected. The primary caregivers of the patient - who were volunteers in our study - are divided into three groups as; Group I: home care (n:111), Group II: day-care center (n:99), Group III: nursing home care (n:111). Patients were classified according to the clinical dementia rating scale (CDR) and evaluated by and Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI). Beck anxiety scale (BAS), Beck depression scale (BDS), World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment short version (WHOQOL-BREF), Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (ZCBI) and a sociodemographic questionnaire were applied to all caregivers. Results: According to average age, group III was significantly older than others. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of duration of patient care. BDS was significantly higher in group III. WHOQOL-BREF score was significantly lower in group III and CMAI score was significantly higher in group III. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of ZCBI. Conclusion: Our results revealed that day-care centers play a meaningful role in reducing the stress of caregivers and increasing their QoL. Low-income, chronic diseases of the caregivers, and aggressiveness their patients are the most important factors affecting the caregiver’s QoL.