[Facilitating environment for dementia patients--the Pixel study]

Caregivers of demented outpatients can suffer from poor health, are often anguished and unable to cope with the cared patient, and this burden can generate frailty.

This survey attempted to determine the psychological parameters and effective capability influence of the caregiver's Quality of Life (QoL) and vulnerability, and measured the consequences of their alteration.

4 categories of situations were studied, according to the angst and coping capability of caregivers. Caregiver's QoL and vulnerability were assessed in these situations. Data were related to the socio-demographic data of both patients and their principal caregivers, and to the patients' medical and therapeutic data.

1,410 and 10 patients diagnosed with dementia who lived at home with their principal caregivers were recruited for this survey. Angst and inability to cope with patients alter caregivers' QoL and was correlated to their vulnerability. Female caregivers were often in these situations, had a poorer QoL and were more vulnerable than men. Caregivers anguished and/or nab to cope with the cared patient were less satisfied with their own care and did not enjoy their relationships with their patients. Caregivers with psychological difficulties and failure to cope had to deal with nutritional difficulties with the demented patient.

Caregivers' QoL and vulnerability, are related to angst and inability to cope with patients. We could imagine that both patients and caregivers would benefit by taking care of carers.