Personal Views of Aging among Informal Caregivers of People with Dementia and Non-Caregivers

Does caring for a relative with dementia affect how family caregivers view their own aging process?
A recent study published in Healthcare explored this question by involving a sample of family (informal) caregivers of people with dementia and a comparison group of adults who had never taken this role.
All participants assessed their physical and psychological health and completed a series of questionnaires investigating different personal views of aging, such as subjective age and awareness of age-related changes—both positive and negative—across multiple life domains (e.g., physical, cognitive, socio-emotional). Informal caregivers also evaluated their distress related to managing the behavioral and psychological symptoms typical of dementia, as well as the physical, emotional, and social burden associated with caregiving.
Findings confirmed that caring for a person with dementia has consequences for health and psychological functioning. Moreover, experiencing a higher physical, emotional, and social burden—exacerbated by a lower mood—was linked to greater awareness of negative age-related changes among caregivers.
These results highlight the importance of assessing not only caregivers’ health and caregiving burden but also their views of their own aging process. Moreover, developing interventions that both provide practical caregiving support and promote more accurate and positive views of aging may help informal dementia caregivers take care of themselves, thereby fostering healthy aging.

Authors: Elena Carbone, Serena Sabatini, Federica Piras, Enrico Sella, Beth Fairfield, Salvatore Bazzano, Flavio Busonera, Lucia Borgia, Linda Clare, Erika Borella
Link all’articolo: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/13/22/2884