Characteristics, Burden of Care and Quality of Life of Next of Kin of People with Dementia Attending Farm-Based Day Care in Norway: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

• Main Authors: Taranrød LB, Eriksen S, Pedersen I, Kirkevold Ø
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2020-11-01
• Series: Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare
• Subjects: dementia; family caregiver; adult day care service; green care
• Online Access: https://www.dovepress.com/characteristics-burden-of-care-and-quality-of-life-of-next-of-kin-of-p-peer-reviewed-article-JMDH

Liv Bjerknes Taranrød,1,2 Siren Eriksen,1,3 Ingeborg Pedersen,4 Øyvind Kirkevold1,5,6 1Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Ageing and Health, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg, Norway; 2University of Oslo, Faculty of Medicine, Oslo, Norway; 3Department of Bachelor Education, Lovisenberg Diaconal University College, Oslo, Norway; 4Department of Public Health Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway; 5Centre of Old Age Psychiatry Research, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Brumunddal, Norway; 6Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Department of Health Sciences in Gjøvik, Trondheim, NorwayCorrespondence: Liv Bjerknes TaranrødNorwegian National Advisory Unit on Ageing and Health, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg N-3103, NorwayTel [phone]Email [e-mail]: Caring for people with dementia is often associated with burden of care and may influence the quality of life of the next of kin. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of the next of kin to people with dementia attending farm-based day care service (FDC) and identify characteristics associated with burden of care and quality of life (QoL) of next of kin.Participants and Methods: Ninety-four dyads of people with dementia and their next of kin were included from 25 FDCs in Norway in this descriptive cross-sectional study. The Relative Stress Scale (RSS) and the QoL–Alzheimer’s Disease Scale (QoL-AD) were used as outcomes measures.Results: The participants consisted of those who lived with a person with dementia (spouse/partner, 62%) and those who did not (children), with significant differences in age, education level, work employment, perceived social support, depression symptoms, burden of care, and QoL. In multiple regression models, RSS and QoL were associated with living with the person with dementia, anxiety symptoms and perceived social support. In addition, RSS was associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in the people with dementia.Conclusion: Our findings underline the importance of obtaining knowledge about the next of kin’s burden of care and QoL, of people with dementia attending an FDC. This knowledge is essential for those responsible for providing the best possible services for the next of kin and for developing targeted interventions to support the next of kin.Keywords: dementia, family caregiver, adult day care service, green care