Cognitively Impaired Spouses as Primary Caregivers for Demented Elderly People

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To describe problems of dementia patients whose spousal caregivers are also cognitively impaired.DESIGN: Retrospective chart review.SETTING: The geriatric assessment clinic at University of California, San Diego, which is one center for the California State sponsored Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Center Program.PATIENTS: During the period from January 1992 through May 1994, 65 patients completed the assessment and met the entry criteria of being demented and having a spousal caregiver. Twelve of the spouses scored six or more error points on the Katzman Short Orientation‐Memory‐Concentration Test.MEASUREMENTS: Patient data included age, living situation, other caregivers, use of formal and informal support systems, profiles of medical, cognitive, and functional ability, caregiver interactions, and recommendations from the evaluation.MAIN RESULTS: Dementia patients with cognitively impaired spouses utilized fewer community resources (P = .021) and experienced difficulty with medication compliance (P = .041) more often than those with cognitively normal spousal caregivers.CONCLUSIONS: Older caregivers of patients suffering from dementia should be screened for cognitive problems.