Qualidade de vida de idosos com doença de Alzheimer e de seus cuidadores.

Abstract

The objective of the study was to identify the quality of life (QoL) of elders with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and of their caregivers. This is a descriptive-exploratory study carried out with 50 elders and caregivers in the city of Maringá, state of Paraná, Brazil. The data were collected from November, 2010, to January, 2011, with the use of the Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease Scale. The average of the total scores for patients and caregivers were 26.36 and 35.04 points, respectively. The fields home (98%) and family (72%) presented greater satisfaction for both caregivers and elders. The fields memory and tasks (92%) for the caregivers, and leisure (52%) for the elders reached larger dissatisfaction indexes. It is considered that the caregiver's QoL reflects directly upon the care and, therefore, it should also be considered in the planning and implementation of care to the elderly with AD.