OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — A study recently published by researchers at UNMC and UCSF found that those with dementia have a 73% increased use of emergency rooms if their caregivers suffer from depression.
Out of 663 caregivers involved in the study, 84 (12.7%) had depression when the study began. Participants included 467 women and 196 men who live in California, Nebraska and Iowa who are an average age of 65.
Steve Bonasera, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of geriatrics in the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology, and Palliative Medicine is one of the authors of the paper that was published in the American Medical Association-Neurology.
“As someone who takes care of patients with dementia, I’m not surprised at the results, but I am surprised they go to emergency rooms almost twice as much as those who aren’t diagnosed with depression,” Dr. Bonasera said. “As a general rule, we found those with dementia go to an emergency room almost one time a year. But for those who have caregivers with depression, we found the number is almost double.”
Dr. Bonasera added that some of the reasons for ER visits in dementia patients include infections and increased confusion/behavior problems. He also said that caregivers need to know it's alright to go to a health professional if
“We theorize that caregivers who are not depressed can manage better,” he said. “Those who are depressed might not be able to cope well. When caregivers lack the outpatient support or emotional reserve to face the progressively challenging needs of the patient with dementia, the emergency department may present a practical answer. That’s one way a scenario may play out."
He also said that caregivers need to know it's alright to go to a health professional if they struggle with coping and, if necessary, get treated for depression.
