Table 3 Differences between types of informal caregivers' needs for additional professional support (Number (%)).
| Needs for additional professional help |
Spouses N = 490 |
Sons/Daughters (in- law) n = 372 | p value |
Living at home n = 631 |
Living in a nursing home or home for the elderly n = 299 |
Total N = 984 | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advice | |||||||
| I need to learn what to do when the person I am caring for is frightened, angry or confused |
115
(23.3) |
133
(35.8) | 0.001* |
182
(28.8) |
86
(28.8) |
282
(28.8) | 0.997 |
| I need to know how to deal with the apathy of the person I am caring for |
98
(19.8) |
69
(18.6) | 0.287 |
133
(21.0) |
38
(12.7) |
182
(18.4) | 0.002* |
| I need to learn how to cope with changes in the behavior of the person I am caring for |
83
(16.8) |
83
(22.3) | 0.186 |
130
(20.5) |
43
(14.4) |
186
(18.6) | 0.024* |
| I need to learn how to deal with the aggression of the person I am caring for |
66
(13.4) |
56
(15.1) | 0.755 |
83
(13.1) |
43
(14.4) |
138
(13.5) | 0.597 |
| I need to know which activities I can undertake with the person I am caring for |
66
(13.4) |
46
(12.4) | 0.894 |
88
(13.9) |
26
(8.7) |
124
(12.2) | 0.024* |
| Information | |||||||
| I need more information about the professional help and support available in the region |
90
(18.2) |
81
(21.8) | 0.093 |
150
(23.7) |
23
(7.7) |
183
(18.6) | 0.000* |
| I need information about the progression of dementia |
68
(13.8) |
79
(21.2) | 0.014* |
117
(18.5) |
44
(14.7) |
167
(17.3) | 0.156 |
| I need information about the legal amends in case of admission of the person with dementia to a nursing home or home for the elderly |
100
(20.2) |
41
(11.0) | 0.002* |
131
(20.7) |
16
(5.4) |
155
(15.8) | 0.000* |
| Coordination of dementia care | |||||||
| I want professional caregivers to work together and to tailor the care |
62
(12.6) |
75
(20.2) | 0.005* |
104
(16.4) |
43
(14.4) |
156
(15.8) | 0.432 |
| I want to reflect the professional care from time to time with professional caregivers |
56
(11.3) |
67
(18.0) | 0.050* |
89
(14.1) |
44
(14.7) |
139
(14.3) | 0.789 |
| Emotional support | |||||||
| I need someone to take away the feeling that I am the only one to look after the person with dementia |
85
(17.2) |
38
(10.2) | 0.024* |
95
(15.0) |
32
(10.7) |
135
(13.6) | 0.074 |
| I need someone to look after the person with dementia now and then |
74
(15.0) |
44
(11.8) | 0.399 |
109
(17.2) |
10
(3.3) |
129
(12.8) | 0.000* |
| I need emotional support |
81
(16.4) |
38
(10.2) | 0.016* |
87
(13.8) |
34
(11.4) | 129 (13.0) | 0.314 |