Group living homes for older people with dementia: The effects on psychological distress of informal caregivers

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of group living care for people with dementia on the psychological distress of informal caregivers, compared with regular nursing home care. Method: This study had a quasi-experimental design with two measurements. 67 primary informal caregivers in 19 group living homes and 99 primary informal caregivers in seven regular nursing homes filled in a questionnaire upon admission (baseline measurement) of their relative and six months later (effect measurement). Linear and logistic regression analyses were performed on three outcomes of psychological distress - psychopathology, caregiving competence and caregiver burden. Results: There were no significant differences in caregiver competence and caregiver burden between informal caregivers of residents in group living homes and those in regular nursing homes, although there was a trend towards less psychopathology in group living homes after adjustment for confounding. Conclusion: Informal caregivers of residents in group living homes do not have less psychological distress than informal caregivers of residents in regular nursing homes. Although there was a trend towards less psychopathology in informal caregivers of group living homes, the amount of symptoms remained very high in both caregiver groups. This means that the psychological well-being of caregivers deserves the continuing attention of health care providers, also after admittance of their relative in a nursing home facility.