The Quality of Life of People with Dementia and Their Family Carers

Background: We aimed to identify factors associated with the quality of life (QoL) of 'persons with dementia' (PWDs) and their family carers. Method: Two-hundred and thirty dyads of PWDs and their family carers were included. The PWDs were assessed with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-Q), two Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scales, the Cornell Scale and the QoL-Alzheimer's Disease scale (QoL-AD; self- and proxy-reported scores). The carers were assessed with the QoL-AD and the Geriatric Depression Scale. Results: Factors associated with self-reported QoL were depression (beta = -0.26, p < 0.001) and impaired ADL (beta = -0.26, p < 0.001) and with proxy-rated QoL were NPI (beta = -0.18, p = 0.02), depression (beta = -0.32, p < 0.001) and impaired ADL (beta = -0.43, p < 0.001). Factors associated with QoL in carers living together with the PWDs were depression (beta = -0.56, p < 0.001) and having a hobby (beta = 0.19, p = 0.01), whereas depression was associated with QoL in those who lived separately from the PWD (beta = -0.60, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Depression and impaired ADL were associated with the self-and proxy-rated QoL of the PWDs, whereas depression in the carers negatively affected their QoL. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel