Relationship between Psychological, Social and Educational Needs with General Health among Informal Caregivers of the Elderly with Dementia

The family plays a crucial role in supporting vulnerable older adults and is considered an essential but hidden element in the health care system. This study determined the relationship between psychological, social, and educational needs with general health among informal (family) caregivers of the elderly with dementia.

In this descriptive correlational study, among all the informal caregivers of patients with dementia who went to the clinic of the Alzheimerchr('39')s Association of Iran to receive services, 135 people were selected as a research sample based on the desired criteria with the census method. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the Carerschr('39') Needs Assessment for Dementia (CNA-D), and the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) were used to gather the required data. Data analysis was completed through SPSS-18 and Pearson correlation coefficient.

The mean age of caregivers was 48.8±9.43 years, and the mean length of care for the elderly was 4±3.31 years. Findings showed that there is not a significant relationship between general health and psychological needs of dementia careers. However, social and educational needs had significant relationships with the anxiety subscale of public health.

The burden of caring for the elderly and not paying attention to the psychological, social, and educational needs of caregivers affect all aspects of caregiverschr('39') general health. Educational interventions to reduce stress and provide appropriate training to caregivers improve the quality of care for the elderly with Alzheimerchr('39')s disease.