Summary
Cross sectional studies were conducted in five towns in Japan before and after the introduction of the Long-term Care Insurance System (LTCIS), in order to evaluate the factors relating to depression among family caregivers for the frail elderly.
Depressive caregivers were more likely to consult with their doctors, to be in poor health, to care for demented elderly with behavioral disturbances than the non-depressive caregivers both before and after the LTCIS. Before LTCIS, depressive caregivers were more likely to attend to the elderly for more than 16 hours per day than their counterparts. After the LTCIS, depressive caregivers were more likely to be a spouse, to care for a frail elderly male, and less likely to be able to go out without accompanying the elderly than their counterparts.
Even after the introduction of LTCIS, half of the caregivers were depressive. It is suggested that a government agency should be created to support not only the frail elderly but also their caregivers.
Zusammenfassung
In fünf japanischen Städten wurden „cross-sectional“ Studien durchgeführt, um die Faktoren betreffend Depressionen der Angehörigen von zu Hause gepflegten älteren Patienten vor und nach der Einführung des Langzeit-Pflegeversicherungssystems (the long term care insurance system; LTCIS) zu untersuchen. Depressive Familienangehörige konsultierten häufiger ihren Arzt, waren häufiger in schlechtem Gesundheitszustand und pflegten häufiger Pflegebedürftige mit Verhaltensstörungen als nicht-depressive Angehörige, dies sowohl vor als auch nach der Einführung des LTCIS. Vor der Einführung des LTCIS pflegten depressive Angehörige häufiger als ihre nicht-depressiven Konterparts ihre Patienten mehr als 16 Stunden täglich. Nach der Einführung des LTCIS gab es – vergleichen mit nicht-depressiven – mehr weibliche depressive Angehörige, mehr pflegebedürftige Männer, aber weniger, die das Haus alleine verlassen konnten, ohne von ihren pflegebedürftigen Partnern begleitet zu werden.
Auch nach der Einführung des LTCIS waren mehr als die Hälfte der Angehörigen depressiv. Es wird die Einrichtung einer staatlichen Institution zur Unterstützung nicht nur Pflegebedürftiger, sondern auch deren Angehörigen empfohlen.
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Oura, A., Washio, M., Arai, Y. et al. Depression among caregivers of the frail elderly in Japan before and after the introduction of the Public Long-Term Care Insurance System. Z Gerontol Geriatr 40, 112–118 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-007-0412-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-007-0412-z