Working Caregiver- Caregiving
Close Caregiving Relationship Slows Alzheimer's
Caregiving Slows Alzheimer's
New research reveals that a close caregiving relationship slows the progression of Alzheimer's disease. A recent study led by Johns Hopkins and Utah State University researchers suggests that a particularly close relationship with caregivers may give people with Alzheimer's disease an emotional connection as good as some drugs used to treat the disease.
"We've shown that the benefits of having a close caregiver, especially a spouse, may mean the difference between someone with Alzheimer's disease staying at home or going to a nursing facility," says Constantine Lyketsos, M.D., M.H.S., the Elizabeth Plank Althouse Professor in Alzheimer's Disease Research and director of the Johns Hopkins Memory and Alzheimer's Treatment Center.
Of the 167 pairs of Alzheimer's patients and caregivers studied, patients with close spouses declined the slowest overall. The study could suggest that the relationship that Home Instead CAREGivers have with their clients is of benefit as well. At the very least, CAREGivers can offer the families of loved ones that all-important break from the rigors of caregiving so they can continue to provide the kind of close attention to their loved ones that is helping elders stay safe at home.
Read the full report on Caregiving Slows Alzheimer's Disease.
