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Alzheimer Café: an approach focused on Alzheimer’s patients but with remarkable values on the quality of life of their caregivers

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Aging Clinical and Experimental Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects the global quality of life of persons who suffer from it and their caregivers, because of the behavioral and psychological consequences associated with the pathology and its caring. The Alzheimer Café (AC) is one example of approach aimed to help persons and caregivers deal with their disease.

Aim

This is a pilot study focusing on the efficacy of AC in relieving caregivers’ and persons’ burdens due to dementia.

Methods

The quality of life of both caregivers and persons who attended the AC was compared with the quality of life of those who did not. Basic and instrumental daily activities and neuropsychiatric functioning were assessed. Caregivers also answered to general well-being and caregiving burden questionnaires. The evaluation took place at the beginning of the intervention and after 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.

Results

Caregivers who joined the AC with their persons with dementia showed to have significantly benefited in the daily care of persons with dementia, in terms of total well-being, vitality, and emotional burden.

Discussion

Although improvements were not observed in persons with dementia who attended the AC, significant benefits were reported by their caregivers, suggesting that the intervention may produce better management of social and economic problems and lead to better emotional support.

Conclusions

The AC seems to help families of AD persons to better manage the disease, and also delay the institutionalization of these persons, which is certainly an ambitious goal for an incurable disorder such as Alzheimer’s disease.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Humanitas Foundation-Project Elios Humanitas Gavazzeni, Bergamo, and to all the Volunteers. This research did not receive any specific Grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurological Unit, U.V.A. Centre, Humanitas Gavazzeni, Via Mauro Gavazzeni, 21, 24125, Bergamo, Italy

    Paola Merlo, Alessandra Mandelli, Alice Terzi & Gianpiero Arosio

  2. Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, P.le S. Agostino 2, 24129, Bergamo, Italy

    Maria Devita & Maria Luisa Rusconi

  3. Humanitas Foundation, Elios Project, Bergamo, Italy

    Raquel Taddeucci, Maria Bellati & Maura Gavazzeni

  4. Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padua, Italy

    Sara Mondini

  5. Human Inspired Technology Research Centre, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

    Sara Mondini

Authors
  1. Paola Merlo
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  2. Maria Devita
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  3. Alessandra Mandelli
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  4. Maria Luisa Rusconi
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  5. Raquel Taddeucci
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  6. Alice Terzi
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  7. Gianpiero Arosio
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  8. Maria Bellati
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  9. Maura Gavazzeni
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  10. Sara Mondini
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria Devita.

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Statement of human and animal rights

This study was conducted with respect of animals and humans rights.

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An Informed consent has been provided by all participants.

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Merlo, P., Devita, M., Mandelli, A. et al. Alzheimer Café: an approach focused on Alzheimer’s patients but with remarkable values on the quality of life of their caregivers. Aging Clin Exp Res 30, 767–774 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-017-0844-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-017-0844-2

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