Risk factors for stress in elderly caregivers

This cross-sectional study examined 99 elderly coresident stroke and dementia caregivers who had been in the caregiving role for at least 6 months, to identify risk factors for subjective burden and psychological morbidity. A worsening in the quality of relationship between the caregiver and patient, being a spouse, shorter length of caregiving, poor caregiver self-rated health, greater physical disability and behaviour/mood disturbance in the patient were found to be risk factors for burden. For psychological morbidity, risk factors also included behaviour/mood disturbance as well as female gender and low participation in life activities. These results demonstrate the multifactorial nature of caregiver stress in the elderly.