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From EurekAlert! - Breaking News:
Family or friends served as informal caregivers to almost three-quarters of disabled older adults living in the community during their final year of life, according to an article in the January 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
More than two-thirds of these caregivers found their role rewarding despite providing more than 40 hours of care per week and making little use of caregiver-focused supportive services.
Family and friends serve as the main providers of care for patients with long-term disabilities and those at the end of life, according to background information in the article.
Studies have found that these caregivers provide high levels of assistance and often experience associated emotional, physical and financial strains.
Among the 11.2 percent of disabled, community-dwelling older adults who died within one year of being interviewed, 72.3 percent were receiving help from an informal caregiver (compared with 48.6 percent of older adults who did not die within one year).
Less than 5 percent of caregivers used respite care (in which a temporary caregiver provides a break by caring for the ill individual) or caregiving support groups, while 62.3 percent reported using assistive devices, 37.2 percent used personal or nursing care services and 28.3 percent used home modifications--all interventions designed to help the disabled or ill older adult.
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Posted on January 8, 2007 10:28 PM
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