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Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
[Correlation between burden on caregiver and clinical characteristics of patients with dementia]
Stella Velasques Anderaos Cassis1, Theodora Karnakis, Tatiana Alves de Moraes
1Serviço de Geriatria e Centro de Referência em Distúrbios Cognitivos, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP. stellacassis@yahoo.com.br
Objective:
To verify the correlation between caregiver burden in dementia and characteristics of patients and caregivers.
Methods:
Analysis of medical records. Patient data: socio-demographic characteristics, comorbidities, medications (previous and current), onset of diagnosis and symptoms, type of dementia and severity (cognitive impairment and functional abilities), behavioral disorders. Caregiver data: socio-demographic characteristics, kinship, duration of caregiving and co-residency with the patient. Caregiver burden assessed by the Zarit interview.
Results:
Sixty seven patients (76.8 years (+/-6.2), 53.7% women) and 82% female caregivers were surveyed. Correlation between burden and behavior disorders (p<0.001), dependencies (p=0.003), onset of symptoms (p=0.016) and of caregiving (p<0.001), previous diagnosis (p=0.016) and co-residency (p=0.002) was studied. Cognitive test scores (Mini Mental and CAMCOG) were inversely proportional to distress (p=0.005 and p=0.023). Black caregivers demonstrated lower levels of stress (p=0.012).
Conclusion:
Burden was associated with behavioral disorders, dependencies, cognitive impairment, and onset of symptoms, caregiving and co-residency. Black caregivers demonstrated lower levels of stress.
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