Identifying opportunities for supporting caregivers of persons with dementia through information and communication technology

O r i g i n a l r e s e a r c hProgressive decline in functional status of persons with dementia is emotionally and financially exhausting for caregivers.The role of the caregiver role starts with assistance with relatively complex tasks, and progresses to include the provision of ongoing assistance with more fundamental activities of daily living, as well as dealing with personality changes and behavioural disturbances 1 .One in five people over 80 and one in 20 over the age of 65 suffer from a form of dementia 2 .Our ageing population means that prevalence of dementia will increase, without a planned proportionate rise in professional care.Therefore the role of the family caregiver will become increasingly important in minimising the strain on health care services.The burden on the caregiver contributes to levels of stress and depression, which is found to be a strong predictor for patient referral into institutionalised settings 3 .Therefore, addressing caregiver consequences not only affects their perceived ability to cope, but also plays an important role in helping people with dementia remain at home for longer and reducing cost to health care systems.Caring for someone with dementia can lead to depression, sleep disturbance, anxiety and