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Caregivers Give More When They Get Help, Understanding  iStock Photo Counseling and support go a long way toward encouraging caregiving spouses of Alzheimer’s sufferers to keep giving home care instead of putting ailing spouses in nursing homes, says a study published in the journal Neurology. When caregivers had a better understanding of their spouses’ condition, such as memory loss and behavior problems, they were more likely to provide home care for up to a year and a half longer than spouses who received no support or educational intervention, New York University School of Medicine researchers found. These results were borne of a 19-year study of 106 spouse/caregivers, half of whom received the usual home care and half who got enhanced support such as phone counseling or attended group participation meetings. “Delaying placement was not accomplished at the expense of the caregivers’ well-being,” says Dr. Mary Mittleman of New York University, who noted that extended home care offered significant savings, too. Nursing home care runs about $60,00 a year, according to Mittleman. “Caregivers in the treatment group were not only able to keep their spouses at home with them longer, but as a result of the intervention, had greater tolerance for patient memory and behavior problems, improved satisfaction and support provided by family and friends, and fewer symptoms of depression,” Mittleman says. |
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