Enhanced counseling eases depression among people caring for a loved one with Alzheimer...( little or don't ask at all of their ...),Health

little, or don't ask at all, of their adult children, while children can offer too little, offer the wrong things, or impose themselves in ways that are upsetting," says Dr. Mittelman. "And adult children and other family members are not really aware of the extent to which, as the illness progresses, the person with dementia becomes less and less of a companion to the caregiver. They don't think 'Mom must be lonely,' because they see Dad there."

The study shows that after about five years, the levels of depression among caregivers in the control group dropped to that of caregivers in the enhanced group. Nevertheless, the study points to a significant improvement in quality of life for the enhanced group during that five-year period. "For a person who's 80 years old and depressed," notes Dr. Mittelman, "five years is a long time."

Dr. Mittelman said she hopes that the study will encourage more doctors to refer caregivers to counseling and support programs, and will increase the availability of these types of intensive interventions. "More and more people are living to an age where Alzheimer's disease is likely to afflict a spouse," she says, "so I think that it's important for physicians to know that such counseling programs have proven value."

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Contact: Jennifer Berman
Jennifer.Berman@med.nyu.edu
212-404-3555
New York University Medical Center and School of Medicine
1-May-2004

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