Activities od daily living in patients with Alzheimer's disease from the perspective of their caregivers
Abstract
In patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) deteriorates. Therefore they become more dependent on their caregivers.
Twenty-four caregivers of patients with AD were given questionnaire containing 34 ADL to choose activities which are the most preserved and the most impaired in their patients. They also determined activities impairment of which was the biggest source of burden for caregivers themselves.
Patients' global cognitive performance of AD patients was measured using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The least impact of the disease was seen in basic ADL, whereas orientation in time was most affected.
Impaired orientation in time was found the most troublesome by the caregivers of patients with milder dementia (MMSE 18-25), while caregivers of patients with more pronounced dementia suffered predominantly from impaired communication. These findings can be useful for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, in social care for patient