Relationship between Profile, Quality of Life and Burden of Older People With Dementia’s Caregivers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract This study was to verify the quality of life and caregiver burden of older people with dementia during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (COVID-19) pandemic, and the clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with them. This cross-sectional study was conducted remotely and included Brazilian older people with a mild to moderate stage of dementia and their family caregivers. The caregivers reported older people’s clinical and sociodemographic characteristics. Caregiver characteristics were also collected. The sample comprised 37 pairs of older adults and caregivers, involving older adults with a mean age of 77.5 years old and caregivers who were mostly women (86.5%). Only caregiver years of study and caregiver burden significantly influenced caregiver quality of life. Caregiver distress related to older people’s behavior symptoms, older people’s behavioral symptoms and caregiver quality of life influenced caregiver burden. These caregivers have a fair quality of life and moderate to mild burden during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fewer years of study, the higher quality of life the caregiver presents. The lower caregiver quality of life, the higher caregiver distress related to behavioral symptoms, and the older people’s behavioral symptoms, the higher the caregiver burden is.