Depressive Symptoms Worsen for Dementia Partner Caregivers: What Does This Mean in Times of the Pandemic?

By Melissa Harris

The COVID-19 pandemic has shed a disturbing light on the health and quality of care of older adults. The truth is that the quality of life and care for this vulnerable population should have been of concern long before the pandemic ever began. This is especially true for older adults and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias – a group of memory impairment disorders that primarily affect older adults and gravely impact the cognitive, physical, mental, and social abilities of those diagnosed.

Dementia is known to affect the health and well-being of not only people diagnosed, but also of family members and particularly spouses. Our recent research shows that among older Americans, having a partner with dementia was associated with a 30% increase in depressive symptoms. Increases in depressive symptoms occurred early in the partner’s diagnosis and were sustained for 2 years and beyond.

Prior research shows that similar increases in depressive symptoms has critical negative effects on the physical and functional health of older adults. These substantial increases in depressive feelings among partner caregivers can impact their physical, functional, and emotional ability to continue to provide the high quality of care that they hope for their loved one with dementia.

These findings highlight a major gap in mental health care for older adult partner caregivers of people with dementia. A troubling piece of this story are that the data analyzed in this study were representative of the years 2000 to 2014 - long before this global pandemic altered our reality. Many dementia-specific resources such as support groups, respite care, outreach, and education programs that families used to rely on for assistance have been cancelled outright or modified in some way. Limitations in these important resources suggest the mental health needs of partner caregivers are amplified in current times.

For caregivers, these findings highlight the significant mental health needs and the importance of reaching out for help early on in a partner’s dementia diagnosis. Caregivers may find it helpful to reach out to formal care providers, family members, friends, and other caregivers for support and guidance.

When it comes to care planning for patients with a dementia diagnosis, healthcare providers should be prioritizing the health and wellness of the entire family, particularly partners and spouses. This support from providers needs to come early on and be prioritized throughout the lifetime of the diagnosis. In times of the COVID-19 pandemic, support from formal providers is increasingly important given the known limitations in community resources.

National support organizations such as the Alzheimer’s Association have been increasingly creative in learning to adapt to our “new normal” by offering virtual support groups, online education events, and continuing their 24/7 telephone helpline (800-272-3900). Appropriate government funding for such community-based programs has always been and is now increasingly vital to improve the quality of life and care of older adults and families affected by dementia.

Article details

Associations Between Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias and Depressive Symptoms of Partner Caregivers
Melissa L. Harris, Marita G. Titler, Geoffrey J. Hoffman
First Published August 29, 2020 Research Article
DOI: 10.1177/0733464820952252
Journal of Applied Gerontology

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