» Caregivers of people who experience a severe stroke experience high levels of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress in the first year after the person leaves the hospital, a new study finds. The study was led by a team from Michigan Medicine and published in Neurology. In it, researchers say that almost 30% of the caregivers went on to have major psychological distress in the year after a loved one survived a stroke. The results come as no surprise, because stroke can have devastating impacts on a person. It can cause permanent disability or death. “As physicians, we usually concentrate on our patients, and it is important to recognize that caregivers may have long-term consequences from a loved one’s severe illness,” Lewis Morgenstern, MD, a professor of neurology, neurosurgery and emergency medicine at University of Michigan Medical School and professor of epidemiology at the U-M School of Public Health, said in a statement.
» Whether they move to a senior living community or nursing home or live at home in the community at large, older adults living with dementia often need friends and family members to become more literate about their care plans and health regimens. University researchers are testing a new digital tool that has been designed to help any caregivers of people living with dementia. The online tool works to help navigate the complex maze of regulatory and legal considerations that come with memory care. Although the tool is aimed primarily at individuals’ family members, long-term care providers also figure to benefit via improved comprehension that winds up enabling better communication among all involved caregivers. To study the tool’s efficacy, the National Institute on Aging has bestowed a $3.5 million grant on Emory University’s Neil Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, the recipients announced in December.
» Light therapy is associated with significant improvement in sleep and psychobehavioral symptoms in people living with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a review published online Dec. 6 in PLOS ONE. Lili Zang, from Weifang Medical University in China, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to identify studies evaluating the efficacy of light therapy on sleep disorders and psychobehavioral symptoms and found light therapy “promising” for those with Alzheimer’s.
