Background: Few data are available on the specific care giving-related problems of stroke patient’s caregivers and factors that influence the burden of these caregivers. Aim: To study the influences of the active rehabilitation process on anxiety, depression, care burden and perceived social support level of stroke patients caregivers. Design: A prospective clinical trial. Setting: Patients and caregivers entering a rehabilitation program at a university hospital in Turkey. Populations: Ninety patients with a first episode of stroke and 90 caregivers responsible for their care were recruited for our study. Methods: Patients and caregivers were assessed before and after the active rehabilitation process. The functional disability level of the patients was assessed by Functional Independence Measure (FIM). The Beck Anxiety Scale (BAS) and the Beck Depression Scale (BDS) were used for anxiety and depression assessment, the Zarit Care Burden Scale (ZCBS) for care burden assessment and the Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MDSPSS) for perceived social support assessment. Results: A statistically significant rise is observed in the special person sub-assessment of MDSPSS in both female and male caregivers. Also, a significant decrease in care burden, anxiety and depression levels of caregivers was noted after the rehabilitation program (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Caregivers accept the rehabilitation period as important social support in addition to the support provided by family and friends. Also, our positive results were associated with an improvement in the patients’ functional level and an increase in the acquisition of knowledge and skill required of caregivers in order to provide care during rehabilitation. Clinical Rehabilitation Impact: The rehabilitation team should be aware of the fact that the perceived care burden may be greater due to the lack of knowledge concerning available resources and due to the inability to cope with stress effectively. and A. Y. Karahan, S. Kucuksen, H. Yilmaz, A. Salli, T. Gungor, M. Sahin
V posledních letech se objevují stále častější upozornění na nedostatečno u diagnostiku a léčbu depresivních stavů u seniorů, udává se výskyt deprese u 15 % seniorů žijících ve vlastním prostředí a u 30 % seniorů žijících v institucích. Dále jsou opakovaně referovány nepříznivé důsledky dlouhodobě neléčené deprese na celkový vývoj zdravotního stavu seniorů. Cílem naší práce bylo zjistit aktuální situaci v záchytu deprese v běžné seniorské populaci a o jejím vlivu na zdravotní a funkční stav seniorů. Soubor nemocných a metodika. Soubor nemocných tvoří 161 seniorů ve věku nad 65 let žijících ve vlastním prostředí v péči praktických lékařů a geriatrické ambulance. Tito nemocní byli vyšetřeni testy funkčního geriatrického vyšetření a základním laboratorním souborem. Byl vyhodnocen výskyt diagnostikované a nediagnostikované deprese a srovnání celkového zdravotního a funkčního stavu seniorů s depresí a bez deprese. Výsledky. Ve sledovaném souboru byla deprese diagnostikována u 30 (18,6 %) seniorů, léčeni byli pouze 4 (2,5 %). U seniorů s depresí byl prokázán významně nižší kognitivní výkon (test Mini Mental- State Examinati on - MMSE), významně horší výsledky testů soběstačnosti (Activities if Daily Living - ADL, Instrumental ADL Scale - IADL), vyšší počet užívaných léků a vyšší počet diagnóz, pro které byli tito nemocní léčeni. Závěry: 1. Deprese je v běžné seniorské populaci poddiagnostikovaná, a tudíž nedostatečně léčená. 2. Neléčená deprese výrazným způsobem zhoršuje vývoj zdravotního stavu seniorů a jejich soběstačnost. 3. Nemocní s neléčenou depresí jeví výraznou tendenci k vyšší potřebě zdravotnické péče. 4. V praxi je nutno seniory s depresí aktivně vyhledávat a jejich depresi řešit., The words of caution in relation to insufficient diagnoses and treatment of depression in seniors had become more frequent over the recent years; the prevalence of depression is estimated to be ar und 15% in seniors living in their own environment and 30% in seniors living in institutions. Furthermore, negative consequences of long-term untreated depression on the overall health status of seniors are repeatedly being reported. The aim of our research was to ascertain the current situation in detection of depression in a common senior population and to ascertain the effect of depression on the seniors' health and functional status. Patient sample and methods. The patient sample comprised of 161 seniors over 65 years of age, living in their own environment and being in the care of general practitioners and geriatrists. These patients were assessed using geriatric functional assessment tests and the core laboratory assessments battery. We analyzed the prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed depression and compared overall health and functional status of seniors with and without depression. Results. Depression was diagnosed in 30 (18.6%) seniors in the researched sample; only 4 (2.5%) were treated. Seniors with depression had significantly lover cognitive performance (Mini Mental- State Examinati on test - MMSE), significantly worse results of the self-sufficiency test (Activiti es of Daily Living - ADL, Instrumental ADL Scale - IADL), used higher number of drugs and had higher number of diagnoses for which they were treated. Conclusions. 1. Depression in an ordinary senior population is underdiagnosed and thus insufficiently treated. 2. Untreated depression significantly worsens the health status prognosis of seniors and their self-sufficiency. 3. Patients with untreated depression tend significantly towards higher consumption of health care. 4. It is necessary in routine practice to actively search for seniors with depression and to manage their depression., Hana Kubešová, Jan Matějovský, Hana Meluzínová, Pavel Weber, and Lit.: 23