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Caregivers' experience of risk in dementia: The LASER-AD Study

Walker, A.E., Livingston, Gill, Cooper, C.A., Katona, Cornelius, Kitchen, Ginnette (2006) Caregivers' experience of risk in dementia: The LASER-AD Study. Aging and Mental Health, 10 (5). pp. 532-538. ISSN 1360-7863. (doi:10.1080/13607860600637828) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:12301)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13607860600637828

Abstract

The objective was to explore caregivers' experience of and concerns about the safety of care recipients (CRs) with Alzheimer's disease (AD) living at home. We interviewed family caregivers about their concerns regarding CR's safety, occurrence of risk over the last year and safety measures taken to manage risk. A total of 89 family caregiver/CR dyads participated. All had been recruited as part of a larger longitudinal study based in London and South East Region ( LASER) of the UK. Caregivers spent a substantial proportion of the day supervising the CR (mean = 15.5 hours). Most caregivers (39; 81.2%) of the 48/89 CRs left alone worried about their safety. Sixty-one (68.5%) caregivers reported at least one incident in which the CR had been at risk within the past year. A majority (71; 79.8%) had taken measures to prevent risk behaviours. Greater impairment in activities of daily living and the caregiver not being the CR's spouse were associated with more measures being taken. Caregivers themselves provide supervision most of the time for the CR, and are worried when they are left alone. This is realistic as despite caregiver's attempts at managing their CR's risks, including direct supervision, dangerous incidents still frequently occur in people with AD.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1080/13607860600637828
Subjects: R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research
Depositing User: M.P. Stone
Date Deposited: 10 Sep 2008 14:50 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 09:50 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/12301 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Katona, Cornelius.

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