Burden among caregivers of Parkinson's disease patients

Objective: To investigate the burden among caregivers of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Design: Unmatched case control study. Subjects: Cases were 54 pairs of PD patients aged 65 years and older who attended two hospitals in the Fukuoka-Kitakyushu Metropolitan area, and their caregivers. Controls were 48 pairs of the frail elderly aged 65 years and older who received regular nurse visits in the same area, and their caregivers. Results: Our findings found that compared with their counterparts, caregivers of PD patients felt less burdened and were less likely to consult physicians about their own health, even though the degree of depression did not differ between the two groups. Compared with the controls, caregivers of PD patients spent less time on helping their patients perform daily activities and looking after their charges in their daily lives. PD patients and their caregivers also used fewer social services than the controls. Conclusion: These findings suggest that there may be an additional depressive factor other than care-giving among PD patient caregivers. We should consider providing mental support for them.