Elder Mistreatment Within Stroke Family Caregiving

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neurology
• Public Health

Background:

• Chronic stroke survivors often transition to dementia, increasing caregiving complexity.
• Family caregivers of individuals with dementia face significant challenges, including potential mistreatment.
• Understanding factors contributing to mistreatment is crucial for effective caregiver support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify characteristics associated with mistreatment among chronic stroke survivors transitioning to dementia.
• To examine caregiving experiences influencing abusive or neglectful behaviors by family caregivers.
• To inform interventions for mitigating mistreatment risk in this population.

Main Methods:

• Secondary data analysis of a multi-time series survey study (n=453).
• Examination of baseline data on caregiving experiences and mistreatment behaviors.
• Inferential statistical analysis to identify significant associations.

Main Results:

• Caregiver depression was significantly associated with mistreatment.
• Mistreatment rates were similar across stroke and non-stroke subgroups (not significant).
• Stroke survivors exhibited higher rates of multi-morbidity, prescription medication use, and limited mobility.

Conclusions:

• Stroke survivors with dementia may present a greater care burden, increasing mistreatment risk.
• Identifying timepoints of heightened mistreatment risk is essential for stroke management.
• Targeted support and interventions are needed for at-risk family caregivers.