Month: December 2017

Lewy body dementia is an increasingly prevalent condition, and is currently estimated to comprise a quarter of all dementias. Patients and carers commonly look to the world wide web as a source of health information, but internet information on Lewy body dementia is difficult to understand. Most was readable only to those with a third level education. This study illustrates that improvements are required to provide patients and carers with clearer online information on Lewy body dementia.

Click here to access the article. An OpenAthens login is required. Alternatively call 0161 291 5778 or email Academy Library for a copy of the article.

Very few recent studies are available that compare caregiver burden, sleep quality, and stress in caregivers of different types of dementia. We aimed to investigate caregiver burden, sleep quality, and stress in caregivers of patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration and dementia with Lewy bodies, as compared with caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

Caregivers of frontotemporal lobar degeneration and dementia with Lewy bodies patients experienced significantly more burden compared to Alzheimer’s disease caregivers. The frequency and severity of behavioral disturbances in patient and caregiver stress accounted for the increased caregiver burden, which suggests that frontotemporal lobar degeneration and dementia with Lewy bodies caregivers should receive more support than is currently available.

Click here to access the article. An OpenAthens login is required. Alternatively call 0161 291 5778 or email Academy Library for a copy of the article.

The results showed a great stabilizing effect of the intervention on caregiver burden, that is, comparing pre- and post-measurements the burden decreased very slightly in the intervention group whereas it increased very strongly in the control group. After a three-month follow-up period this effect decreased from a great to a moderate effect. There were also improvements as a result of the intervention in somatization, health-related psychological quality of life and the reaction of the informal caregivers in response to challenging behaviors of the relative with dementia. Moreover, the frequency of challenging behaviors of the affected person itself was reduced in favor of the intervention.

Click here to access the article. An OpenAthens login is required. Alternatively call 0161 291 5778 or email Academy Library for a copy of the article.

This randomized controlled trial examined the comparative effectiveness of 2 interventions for improving life satisfaction and reducing stress symptoms among older female dementia family caregivers. The results indicate that mindfulness meditation and mantra has promise as a feasible and effective caregiver intervention for quality of life and physiological responding to stress.

Click here to access the article. An OpenAthens login is required. Alternatively call 0161 291 5778 or email Academy Library for a copy of the article.

This study found that balancing competing needs completely mediated the association of caregiving demand with depressive symptoms and partially mediated the association of caregiving demand with role strain. Assessing caregivers’ self-perceived sense of balance may help to identify caregivers at high risk for role strain and depressive symptoms. Interventions to enhance caregivers’ perceived sense of balance between competing needs may provide a strategy for reducing the negative effects of caregiving.

Click here to access the article. An OpenAthens login is required. Alternatively call 0161 291 5778 or email Academy Library for a copy of the article.

Living with dementia has been described as a process of continual change and adjustment, with people with dementia and their families adopting informal strategies to help manage everyday life. As dementia progresses, families increasingly rely on help from the wider community and formal support. Three themes emerged within the scaffolding, characterising the experiences of families living with dementia: doing things together; evolving strategies; and fragility and fear of the future.

Click here to access the article. An OpenAthens login is required. Alternatively call 0161 291 5778 or email Academy Library for a copy of the article.