Caring for patients with neurocognitive disorders (NCD) can be challenging for caregivers, with the risk of malnutrition. Observational, retrospective, monocentric study carried out with patient-caregiver dyads admitted to the Memory Day Hospital of the Gerontology Center of the University Hospital of Lille over 6 months in 2023. Our objectives were to identify the socio-characteristics of caregivers who had recently experienced a variation in their weight, their degree of fatigue (using the Fatigue Numerical Rating Scale), their burden (using the Mini-Zarit scale), and their quality of life (using the WHOQOL-BREF scale). Qualitative variables are represented by numbers and percentages, while quantitative variables are typically reported as the mean ± standard deviation (SD) if the data are Gaussian, or as the median with the interquartile range. Normality was assessed using the Shapiro–Wilk test and visual inspection of histograms. Caregivers were classified into three groups according to weight variation (WV). Comparisons between WV groups were performed using chi-square tests for qualitative variables and Kruskal–Wallis tests for quantitative variables. All tests were two-sided with a 5% significance level and were performed using SAS 9.4. The study included 106 patient–caregiver dyads. The patients were primarily women (64%), with a mean age of 81 years, and were mainly living at home (82%). Two-thirds of them had a major neurocognitive disorder (primarily Alzheimer's disease), with an average Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 23/30. The caregivers were mainly women (63%) who lived with their partners. Three groups were identified: spouses (30%, with a mean age of 76); adult children/stepchildren (58%, with a mean age of 55); and others (11%). The support provided was mainly administrative (84%). Nearly three-quarters of caregivers experienced weight variation (WV). Spouses tended to lose weight, while children tended to gain weight. The mean Mini-Zarit score was 2/7. On the WHOQOL-BREF scale, the lowest score was observed in caregivers with weight loss (social relationships). Bivariate analysis revealed that caregiver status, patient NCD severity, and fatigue were significantly associated with WV. Caring is a major social issue, and caregivers, who are often invisible, are gaining recognition, notably through the introduction of a 'carer status' in France. It is essential to raise awareness among the public and health professionals to help identify and support caregivers more effectively. Regularly measuring caregivers’ weight is a simple and cost-effective means of preventing caregiver distress and the risk of burnout. Supporting both patients and caregivers is a key priority.
Huvent‐Grelle et al. (Fri,) studied this question.