Source: Brain  |  Posted 9 years ago

The burden on caregivers is a significant predictor for death or institutionalisation of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Caregivers need education regarding available resources in order to reduce the demands placed on them. This could protect against patients being placed in institutions prematurely.

Specialists at the Hyogo Institute for Ageing, Brain and Cognitive Disorders, Japan, pointed out that long-term institutionalisation of patients with Alzheimer's disease was based on a range of patients' and caregivers' characteristics. It was vital to find out what factors were associated with timely institutionalisation and which would prevent it happening prematurely.

The specialists studied outcomes in 211 Alzheimer's disease patients (f=149, m=62) aged 73.1