Research: Care of Seniors with Dementia Underestimated

17. I think my 86-year-old dad has dementia or something worse. He is becoming forgetful and I fear he is no longer safe at home. As a result, I am at his house more frequently. This is putting a strain on my own job and family life. My siblings don’t think this is a big deal, though. They just say dad is getting old.

The real social costs of cognitive impairments among older adults are being greatly underestimated without counting care given to older Americans who have not yet reached the diagnostic threshold for dementia, according to a recent study from the University of Michigan.

“We were surprised to learn how much time family members spend caring for loved ones who have some cognitive impairment, but whose impairments are not severe enough to be classified as dementia,” said Gwenith Fisher, a psychologist at the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR).

“These caregivers are dealing with many of the burdens of caring for an older, cognitively impaired family member, but they may not be eligible for much of the help available unless the diagnosis is dementia.”

Most of the caregivers in the study were female family members, most often daughters, of the care recipient. Just over 70 percent were caring for a family member diagnosed with dementia, while just under 30 percent were caring for a family member diagnosed as having "cognitive impairment, not dementia" (CIND). The researchers found that dementia caregivers spent approximately nine hours a day providing care, compared with about four hours a day provided by CIND caregivers. Between one-quarter and one-third of those with CIND were receiving some kind of family care.

Please encourage your father to get a physical and a diagnosis from a doctor he trusts. This can help you determine how best to get your dad the resources he needs. Also, consider respite care for you and your dad. Home Instead Senior Care^® hires CAREGivers^SM who could come to his home a few hours a week to take some of the time commitment and stress off of you. CAREGivers serve as companions and assist with meal preparation, light housekeeping, medication reminders, shopping and errands.

About the survey, visit http://www.healthcanal.com/mental-health-behavior/15507-Study-shows-real-social-costs-caring-for-cognitively-impaired-elders.html.