Parkinson's Disease Caregiver Strain in Singapore

Abstract

Background: Caregiver strain is recognized globally with Parkinson's disease (PD). Comparatively little is understood about caregiver burden and strain in Asia. Objective: To investigate caregiver strain for families living with PD in Singapore, in light of international data. Methods: Ninety-four caregivers were recruited via people living with idiopathic PD in Singapore. Caregiver strain was assessed using the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI); health status was assessing using the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics (CIRS-G). PD disability measures were the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and modified Hoehn and Yahr (1967) Scale. Results: Primary caregivers of people living with PD in Singapore were mostly cohabiting spouses, partners or offspring. Around half employed foreign domestic helpers. Mean caregiving duration was 5.9 years with an average of eight hours per day spent in caregiving roles. Most care providers were comparatively healthy. Caregivers reported significant levels of strain which increased with greater level of disability (r = 0.36, n = 94, p < 0.001). Associations were significant between caregiver strain and scores on the UPDRS mentation, behavior, and mood subscales [r = 0.46, n = 94, p < 0.001, 95% CI (0.28, 0.60)]. High scores on the UPDRS activities of daily living subscale were associated with caregiver strain [r = 0.50, n = 94, p < 0.001, CI (0.33, 0.64)]. Conclusion: Most caregivers in this Singapore sample reported high levels of strain, despite comparatively good physical function. Caregiver strain in PD spans geopolitical and cultural boundaries and correlates with disease severity. These results support the need for better early recognition, education, and support for caregivers of people living with PD.

Dance Is an Accessible Physical Activity for People with Parkinson’s Disease

“…Parkinson's disease (PD) is a debilitating and progressive condition that currently has no cure. People living with PD can experience movement disorders and nonmotor symptoms that compromise their levels of physical activity [1] and quality of life [2][3][4][5]. Movement slowness [6], balance impairment [7], falls [8,9], and gait disturbance often occur [10].…”

Predicting Caregiver Burden in Informal Caregivers for the Elderly in Ecuador

“…Previous studies also found differences in the amount of perceived burden in caregivers [ 17 ]. However, most studies focused on caregivers of people with dementia [ 18 , 19 , 20 ] or other mental disorders [ 21 ].…”

Effectiveness of In-person Tele-support Management on Perceived Burden, Health-promoting Practices, and Sense of Coherence among Caregivers of Older Adults with Parkinson’s Disease

“…Table (7) disclosed that more than half of PD caregivers (53.8%) had low sense of coherence on the first evaluation (pre-program), compared to 71.8% had high level on the second evaluation and 56.4% had moderate level on the third evaluation post-program with statistically significant determined differences (p <0.001) between intervention phases. Table (8) clarified that PD caregivers had higher overall score of sense of coherence after the conduction of in-person tele-support program immediately (65.95 ± 6.26), and 6 weeks post (61.82 ± 6.34) than before (36.49 ± 6.75), with a statistically significant difference ((P= <0.001). Comprehensibility was the most upgrading dimension and had higher percent mean score both immediately (92.61%) and 6 weeks (79.35%) post program.…”

“…The objective elements are demands to which the caregiver is exposed because of caring for a dependent person. The subjective components include the way the caregiver perceives the caregiving tasks and the emotional response to caring experience [8] . Just when the emotional involvement become increasingly intense, frequent, and long-lasting; the caregiver's health and behavior may be threatened [9] .…”