Unmet Needs in Dementia Care: The Predictive Role of Caregiver Challenges

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), family caregivers provide most of the support for people with dementia (PWD), yet little is known about how caregiver needs relate to unmet needs of PWD ^- especially in Latin America. This study explored that relationship in Brazilian caregiver-PWD dyads.

140 Brazilian dyads underwent in-home interviews, with assessments including a comprehensive needs of care instrument, caregiver burden, mental health, and caregiving experience, as well as PWD symptoms and demographics.

All dyads had at least one unmet need. A combined model incorporating predictors from both PWD and caregivers indicated that PLWD having lower education, being male, and exhibiting more neuropsychiatric symptoms are associated with more unmet needs. Additionally, caregiver-related factors such as being male, having fewer years of caregiving experience, and having more unmet needs of their own were also linked to greater unmet needs in PWD.

Caregiver well-being significantly affects the quality of dementia care. Caregivers' unmet needs likely reflect both their personal limitations and broader care challenges. Addressing both caregiver and PWD needs through targeted support strategies is essential for improving dementia care in LMICs, and especially in culturally and economically diverse settings.