Caregiver Burdens of Family Members with Alzheimer's Disease.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease is a common form of dementia characterized by progressive deterioration of a patient's cognitive abilities and memory. Most individuals that have Alzheimer's disease live and depend on family members for assistance or total care. This descriptive, correlational study examines the relationship between perceived caregiver burden of a family member with Alzheimer's disease who attended an adult day care center and perceived caregiver burden of a family member that did not attend an adult day care center. Research data were collected using the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI) and a researcher-developed demographic survey. This study used a purposive sample of (N = 84) caregivers. Results of the study indicated no significant differences in the perceived caregiver burden between the groups. The findings indicate the need to refine community and professional understanding of the challenges caregivers face.