Almost a quarter of carers of people with Alzheimer's disease or dementia have had to stop work to do so, while more than six out of 10 spend 14 hours or more per day providing them with care, new research has indicated. John Downesreports.
According to the survey of 270 carers conducted by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) and the pharmaceutical company Lundbeck, only one-third of those being cared for had spent time in hospital or a nursing home as a result of their condition.
Eighty four per cent live at home with a carer, while just 3 per cent live in a nursing or residential home. Nearly half of all patients were aged between 75 and 84, and 61 per cent of patients were female.
The research shows that carers are predominantly female (72 per cent), with 45 per cent looking after their mother or father and 43 per cent caring for their spouse or partner.
Among the other key findings of the study, which was undertaken in July and August of this year, are:
26 per cent of carers have had to stop work altogether;
28 per cent have had to reduce the number of hours they work;
56 per cent feel that they do not have sufficient income to look after the person they care for, but 48 per cent have also had to pay for additional help.
There are almost 40,000 people with Alzheimer's disease or dementia in Ireland, with 50,000 carers looking after someone with one of the six recognised symptoms of the condition.
It affects about one in 20 people over the age of 60, and one in five over the age of 85.
Outlining the findings of the research in Dublin yesterday, Catherine Keogh, care practice co-ordinator with the ASI, noted that carers mainly rely on the ASI, their GP and the media to keep them informed about Alzheimer's and dementia.
She said medication improves some symptoms, while many others are relieved by other techniques.
But while there is a high uptake of more traditional services such as home and day care, ancillary services such as counselling and supported holidays are less available.
Speaking at yesterday's launch, Brenda Hounam, who lives with Alzheimer's disease, outlined how it has affected her life.
"It changes everything from the time you get up in the morning until the time you get to bed at night," she said. "There is such collateral damage from the disease . . . I don't know what year it is now, and I don't know what month or day it is."