Medical Newswire - Healthcare, Biotechnology News Release Service

Results of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s third annual survey, “ICAN: Investigating Caregivers’ Attitudes and Needs,” suggests that children of caregivers assist their parents in delivering care for an aging parent, other relative or friend with Alzheimer’s disease.

The survey revealed that about three out of five caregivers’ children aged 8 to 21 are involved in caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease and perform the following duties:

• About one-third of young adults (ages 18-21) help with doctors’ appointments

• 42 percent of young adults assist with transporting loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease

• About one-quarter of young adults and teens (ages 13-17) assist with activities of daily living, such as feeding and dressing

• Nearly 90 percent of preteens (ages 8-12) visit and entertain a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease

• About 85 percent of teens visit the person with the disease.

“Taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s disease can be an enormous drain on the caregiver and on family resources,” said Eric J. Hall, AFA’s president and chief executive officer. “For sandwich [generation] caregivers, the problem is even more acute. It is clear that caregiving is a multigenerational concern. Young adults and even teens and preteens are being impacted in life-changing ways by their caregiving responsibilities.”
May 2, 2008, 08:42