Family Caregiver Burden by Relationship to Care Recipient with Dementia in Korea

The purpose of this study is to compare demographic and clinical characteristics of caregivers and care recipients by caregiver type (i.e., daughter, son, daughter-in-law, and spouse) and to compare the caregiver burden among each type of caregiver. A cross-sectional survey design was used involving 157 primary family caregivers and their care recipients who were diagnosed with dementia. Participants were from the Korean capital and the surrounding suburbs. Spouse caregivers rated themselves as having poorer health and less social support than adult child caregivers did. Those cared for by daughters-in-law were older and demonstrated more memory and behavioral problems than those by spouses, sons, or daughters. Spouses perceived the highest burden among caregivers. Nursing interventions could be developed on the basis of the specific type of burden that various caregivers experience. For future studies, exploring the earlier marital relationship between spouse caregiver and care recipient would be useful for understanding the burden of spouse caregivers.