Unità Operativa Alzheimer, Centro per la Memoria, IRCCS, Brescia,
Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2010 Jul-Aug;51(1):54-8. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2009.07.008. Epub 2009 Oct 22.
This study was conducted to isolate the needs families express both for medical and psychological care, and for educational and social support in 112 caregivers of patients affected by moderate to severe dementia (mini mental state examination=MMSE score: 9+/-7) consecutively recruited at our Memory Clinic, to develop approaches as individualized as possible. The medical needs caregivers express are mainly relative to a better knowledge of the disease (78%) and the exact diagnosis (65%); the education-related needs are mainly relative to the acquisition of communicational skills (83%) and the optimal handling of cognitive (77%) and behavioral disorders (81%); the psychological ones mainly concern the area of assistance induced emotional stress management (37%) and the elaboration of feelings such as anxiety, rage and guilt (49%). Variance analysis shows a correlation between emotional caregivers' needs and the subjective and objective burdens they carry. Despite the attention to the role families play in caring for patients with a diagnoses of moderate to severe dementia, caregivers still express low levels of illness-consciousness and high levels of psychological discomfort. A lot more ought to be done in order to provide better information about the disease, about appropriate cognitive and behavioral disorder management skills, and about viable psychological support.
本研究旨在分析 112 名中度至重度痴呆症患者（简易精神状态检查[MMSE]评分为 9+/-7）的家属所表达的医疗和心理护理、教育和社会支持需求，以制定尽可能个体化的方法。这些家属表达的医疗需求主要与更好地了解疾病（78%）和明确诊断（65%）有关；教育相关需求主要与获得沟通技巧（83%）和最佳处理认知（77%）和行为障碍（81%）有关；心理需求主要涉及协助处理诱发的情绪压力管理（37%）和表达焦虑、愤怒和内疚等情绪（49%）。方差分析显示，情感需求与主观和客观负担之间存在相关性。尽管家庭在照顾中度至重度痴呆症患者方面的作用受到重视，但家属的疾病意识仍然较低，心理不适水平较高。为了提供更好的疾病信息、适当的认知和行为障碍管理技能以及可行的心理支持，还需要做更多的工作。
