Family Caregiving in Dementia: The Asian Perspective of a Global Problem

BACKGROUND/AIMS: With an increasing life expectancy, the number of people suffering from dementia globally will rise to about 115.4 million by 2050. It is projected that in the 21st century, the majority of the world's older people will be living in Asia. This paper examines the global issues of family caregiving for older persons with dementia from an Asian perspective. METHODS: Literature review of published empirical studies from 1990 to October 2010. RESULTS: A full understanding of the specific way that culture could influence family caregivers' burdens may play an important part in the development of a holistic model for family-centered care. Well-designed psychoeducation interventions or multicomponent interventions could help in reducing caregivers' burden. With socio-economical and demographical changes, families need to be supported when taking on the caregiving role and be offered alternatives of care. CONCLUSION: There is a need for future trials with more rigorous randomization and longitudinal follow-up to assess family caregiver burdens at different illness stages. Future studies could focus on protective factors that promote caregivers' resilience. It is essential to develop psychometrically robust measures for family caregiver burden and gain.