Physical and psychological health of caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease and congestive heart failure

In the US, over 5.8 million family members provide care to persons over the age of 65. With an increasing elderly population, the number of caregivers will multiply. Similar to caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD), caregivers of patients with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) may also experience issues related to caregiving, but the study of this population is limited. The purpose of this study was to compare the two types of caregivers (those who care for older adults with AD and CHF), on three dependent variables (burden, depression, satisfaction). The study was cross sectional in design and employed a telephone survey that targeted a total of 62 caregivers. The Instruments used in this study are: Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale, Lifeware Caregiver Form for caregivers, and Caregiving Satisfaction Scale. The test scores were analyzed, using independent Nests, Pearson correlation, and two-way ANOVA. Statistical significant differences were found between the two groups on burden and satisfaction but not on depression. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...