Coping review of dementia fear studies among middle-aged and elderly people in the community

This study used Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review methodology as a framework and searched the following databases:PubMed,Embase,EBSCO,CINAHL,Web of Science,Cochrane Library,Scopus,CNKI,Wanfang,VIP,and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database.The database is open to December 20,2023,and documents related to the fear of dementia among the elderly in the community are described and analyzed to provide a reference for future research in this field.At the same time,we screened,extracted,and summarized relevant information from 21 included documents(16 in English and 5 in Chinese),which consisted of 16 cross-sectional studies,2 quasi-experimental studies,2 randomized controlled studies,and 1 longitudinal study.Sixteen of the included documents mentioned the incidence or level of dementia fear among the elderly in the community,2 addressed the adverse effects of dementia fear,and 4 reported prevention and intervention measures for dementia fear.In total,there are 8 assessment tools,and the influencing factors are categorized into sociodemographic characteristics,psychological and behavioral characteristics,sociocultural background factors,and health and dementia-related factors.The final conclusion is that the fear of dementia is common among the elderly in the community.In the future,the application of research tools should be expanded among middle-aged individuals,with considerations for other types of dementia in mind.It is recommended to conduct large-scale,multi-center randomized controlled trials while confirming the intervention’s effect on different types of middle-aged and elderly individuals,focusing on the long-term impact of these intervention measures to promote healthy aging.

Preliminary Results of Dementia Prevalence among Elderly People at Home by Cognitive Disorder Adapted Test of Niamey (Niger)

Introduction: Neurocognitive disorders are frequent with aging and are often seen at advancing stages in our context. It is really difficult to evaluate rapidly Nigerien elderly persons according to tools available on cognitive status while there is a great number of uneducated elderly people who suffer from cognitive deficiency. The purpose was to determine neurocognitive disorders prevalence in uneducated groups and Muslim elderly people by using the cognitive disorder examination (Codex) test adopted in the population living at home in Niamey (Niger). Materials and Methods: These are the results of a preliminary prospective study with simple three (3) random sampling concerning elderly people aged 60 and over living at home in whom the codex test adapted to Niamey was administered in uneducated Muslim elderly people for a total duration of four (4) minutes. This screen-adapted test should be completed by the mini-mental test of Senegal which is adapted globally to uneducated people in hospitals. The basic Codex test was developed in France for educated people, so we used this basic test in our educated people in the same study. Results: A total of 198 patients had been collected, of which 51.5% were female with an average age of 68 years with extremes of 60 to 84 years. 40 were educated. Among educated persons, 62.5% had a very low probability of dementia and 5% had a very high probability of dementia in the first step of the Codex. In the second step, 12.5% had a low probability of dementia and 20% had a high probability in the same group, while 51.3% had a very low probability of dementia and 21.3% had a very high probability of dementia in the first step of CODEX in uneducated elderly. In the second step in the same group, 12.6% had a low probability and 14.5% had a high probability of dementia. Conclusion: The adapted codex test of Niamey is simple and could be rapidly used to screen dementia among uneducated elderly Muslim prayers, and then could confirm it by complementary cognitive status test validated in the same population. However, it should be confirmed by using a large sample.

Dilemmas Faced by Nurses Regarding the Physical Restraint of Elderly Patients with Dementia in Japan

This study aimed to clarify the dilemma of nurses working in general wards who face the ethical dilemma of restraining older people with dementia in Midwestern Japan. The study used the questionnaire method with an independently prepared questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to ensure privacy and anonymity. The privacy and anonymity of study participants was assured. Of the 340 survey questionnaires distributed, 291 (85.6%) completed surveys were eligible number (12 additional surveys were returned without answers). An explanatory factor analysis revealed four dilemma factors among 15 items investigated (KMO value 0.84). These were: factor 1: “Execution of treatment and security,” α = 0.91;factor 2: “approach in the nursing of older people with dementia,” α = 0.93;factor 3: “A cooperative relationship in nursing of older people with dementia,” α = 0.87;and factor 4: “Priorities in nursing,” α = 0.81. The cumulative contribution ratio was 79.1%. We suggest that the program would enable nurses to cope with these dilemmas.

“Care That Respects Individuality” Provided to Elderly People with Dementia as Perceived by Japanese Dementia Carers Qualified

The objective of this study was to clarify the contents of “care that respects individuality” provided to elderly people with dementia living in group homes as perceived by dementia carers qualified. We interviewed 21 dementia carers qualified working at group homes in Prefecture A about the practical contents of and their thoughts on “care that respects individuality”. The data obtained from the interviews were analyzed using the modified grounded theory approach (M-GTA). As a result, 14 concepts regarding the contents of “care that respects individuality” provided to elderly people with dementia living in group homes as perceived by dementia carers qualified were generated in the following 4 categories: “placing emphasis on the individual”, “respecting feelings”, “eliciting strengths”, and “close mutual relationship”.

Survey on the Use of Information and Communication Technology Tools in Educating Caregivers of Elderly People with Dementia —Analysis from Ichushi and PubMed

This study aimed to clarify the use of computer simulations in educating caregivers of elderly people with dementia. Thesaurus words in articles indexed in Ichushi and PubMed were analyzed using commercially available “Trend Search” text-mining software developed by FUJITSU. The analysis maps relational words in the articles, with line size and distance between words showing the strength of the relation. For ethical purposes, articles were anonymized for analysis. The search was conducted using the query phrases “elderly people with dementia AND simulation”, and retrieved four articles from Ichushi (2007-2010) and 16 from PubMed (1992-2012). The search results revealed that little research has been done on this subject, and highlighted opportunities to further investigate the use of ICT tools in educating caregivers of elderly people with dementia.

Can the prediction model using regression with optimal scale improve the power to predict the Parkinson's dementia?

BACKGROUND Efficiently detecting Parkinson's disease(PD)with dementia(PDD)as soon as possible is an important issue in geriatric medicine.AIM To develop a model for predicting PDD based on various neuropsychological tests using data from a nationwide survey conducted by the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and to present baseline data for the early detection of PDD.METHODS This study comprised 289 patients who were 60 years or older with PD[110 with PDD and 179 Parkinson's Disease-Mild Cognitive Impairment(PD-MCI)].Regression with optimal scaling(ROS)was used to identify independent relationships between the neuropsychological test results and PDD.RESULTS In the ROS analysis,Korean version of mini mental state ex-amination(MMSE)(KOREAN version of MMSE)(b=-0.52,SE=0.16)and Hoehn and Yahr staging(b=0.44,SE=0.19)were significantly effective models for distinguishing PDD from PD-MCI(P<0.05),even after adjusting for all of the Parkinson's motor symptom and neuropsychological test results.The optimal number of categories(scaling factors)for KOREAN version of MMSE and Hoehn and Yahr Scale was 10 and 7,respectively.CONCLUSION The results of this study suggest that among the various neuropsychological tests conducted,the optimal classification scores for KOREAN version of MMSE and Hoehn and Yahr Scale could be utilized as an effective screening test for the early discrimination of PDD from PD-MCI.

Development of ethical dilemma scale Japanese nurse faced physical restraints to elderly patients with dementia

Purpose: This study aimed to develop an ethical dilemma scale for nurses faced with the use of physical restraint when caring for elderly patients with dementia. Methods: We used a previously established 20-item dilemma scale. The objective and method of the study were explained to the head of nursing at 17 selected hospitals, and 121 nurses working in the general wards of 14 hospitals (excluding emergency department wards of psychiatry, pediatrics, obstetrics, outpatients, operating rooms and intensive care units) who agreed to participate were enrolled in 2000. Seventy-six nurses from one of the hospitals were selected after eight years (2008) to provide a comparison. Ethical considerations: The study was conducted with the approval of the ethics committee at Meiji University of Integrative Medicine. Results and discussion: Four factors were compared between 2000 and 2008: “execution of treatment and security”, “characteristic features in nursing of elderly patients with dementia”, “cooperative relationship in nursing”, and “priorities in nursing”. The cumulative contribution ratio was 65.3% (KMO = 0.77, p = 0.000) in 2000 and 72.5% (KMO = 0.78, p = 0.000) in 2008. Therefore, the scale dilemma nurse faced physical restraints to elderly patients with dementia in Japan was developed 4 facoters from 17-delremmas items of 20 items.

Profiles of Major Cognitive Disorders in Elderly People Followed at the Geriatric Clinic of Fann National University Hospital in Senegal

Introduction: The aging of the world’s population is accompanied by an increase in the prevalence of chronic pathologies, including major neurognitive disorders (MNCD), which are a true global public health problem. The aim of this study was to update the epidemiological, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of MNCD in elderly subjects in the first geriatric university department in Senegal and the sub-region. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective and descriptive study from January 1, 2020 to January 1, 2021. It concerned subjects aged 65 years and over received in the department with MNCD diagnosed by using the Senegal test and the IADL score of Lawton. Results: Out of a total of 510 patients, major cognitive impairment was diagnosed in 61, representing a prevalence of (11.9%). The mean age was 70 years ±7 (extremes 65 - 98 years), with a male predominance (52%), (sex ratio 1.1). Sixty-four percent (64.10%) of the subjects were married, (25%) illiterated, (93.44%) lived with their families and fifty percent (50.81%) were well cared for. Antecedents and comorbidities included arterial hypertension (59.02%). Neurocognitive manifestations were dominated by memory disorders (62.30%), followed by anxiety and/or hallucinations (52.45%). MNCD were severe in (63.93%). The etiologies of CMND were dominated by Alzheimer’s disease (46%), followed by vascular causes (31%). Geriatric syndromes associated with dementia were dominated by loss of autonomy (88.52%) and frailty (65.57%). Memantine was the most prescribed anti-dementia treatment (72.13%). Psychosocial care in the form of home assistance was provided in 88.52% of cases. Conclusion: The prevalence of MNCD remains high compared to data from the African region. This indicates the importance of organizing the management of cases with serious consequences for caregivers. The etiologies remain dominated by Alzheimer’s disease and vascular MNCD.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs about Dementia in an Urban Xhosa-Speaking Community in South Africa

Background: Dementia, a debilitating condition, requires particular attention in Southern Africa where there is a dearth of prevalence data. Population ageing and other risk factors are driving an increasing incidence of dementia. However, limited knowledge and understanding may impact the attitudes and practices towards persons with dementia. Aim: To investigate the relationship between the knowledge of dementia, its effect on the attitudes and practices toward people with dementia in an urban community setting. To determine the perceived availability of services for those with dementia, the awareness of elder abuse and care-giver burden. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed in Khayelitsha. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used with assistance from isiXhosa speaking translators. A sample of 100 individuals was surveyed door-to-door from both the informal and formal housing settlements, using cluster random sampling methods. Results: There was deficient knowledge about dementia, with an average accuracy of 53.44% on the knowledge test. Only 10% reported knowing what dementia was. Participants had generally tolerant views about people with dementia. No significant relationship was found between knowledge and attitudes about dementia. There was a significant difference between people who would share their house with a family member with dementia or send them to nursing homes (p = 0.03). 64% of participants knew what elder abuse was. 19% knew of an elder who had been abused;amongst the most common forms reported were being locked alone in their house and being deprived of food. Conclusions: This study showed that knowledge about dementia was limited with no relationship to attitudes of high tolerance towards people with dementia. Elder abuse was well recognized, but poorly reported. Appropriate health promotion strategies and education should be conducted and further research should be done into dementia in South Africa.

Dementia and osteoporosis in a geriatric population: Is there a common link?

AIM To determine the existence of a common pathological link between dementia and osteoporosis through reviewing the current evidence base. METHODS This paper reviews the current literature on osteoporosis and dementia in order to ascertain evidence of a common predisposing aetiology. A literature search of Ovid MEDLINE(1950 to June 2016) was conducted. The keywords "osteoporosis", "osteoporotic fracture", "dementia" and "Alzheimer's disease"(AD) were used to determine the theoretical links with the most significant evidence base behind them. The key links were found to be vitamins D and K, calcium, thyroid disease, statins, alcohol and sex steroids. These subjects were then searched in combination with the previous terms and the resulting papers manually examined. Theoretical, in vitro and in vivo research were all used to inform this review which focuses on the most well developed theoretical common causes for dementia(predominantly Alzheimer's type) and osteoporosis.RESULTS Dementia and osteoporosis are multifaceted disease processes with similar epidemiology and a marked increase in prevalence in elderly populations. The existence of a common link between the two has been suggested despite a lack of clear pathological overlap in our current understanding. Research to date has tended to be fragmented and relatively weak in nature with multiple confounding factors reflecting the difficulties of in vivo experimentation in the population of interest. Despite exploration of various possible mechanisms in search for a link between the two pathologies, this paper found that it is possible that these associations are coincidental due to the nature of the evidence available. One finding in this review is that prior investigation into common aetiologies has found raised amyloid beta peptide levels in osteoporotic bone tissue, with a hypothesis that amyloid beta disorders are systemic disorders resulting in differing tissue manifestations. However, our findings were that the most compelling evidence of a common yet independent aetiology lies in the APOE4 allele, which is a well-established risk for AD but also carries an independent association with fracture risk. The mechanism behind this is thought to be the reduced plasma vitamin K levels in individuals exhibiting the APOE4 allele which may be amplified by the nutritional deficiencies associated with dementia, which are known to include vitamins K and D. The vitamin theory postulates that malnutrition and reduced exposure to sunlight in patients with AD leads to vitamin deficiencies. CONCLUSION Robust evidence remains to be produced regarding potential links and regarding the exact aetiology of these diseases and remains relevant given the burden of dementia and osteoporosis in our ageing population. Future research into amyloid beta, APOE4 and vitamins K and D as the most promising aetiological links should be welcomed.

Is surgery the best treatment for elderly gastric cancer patients?

As the elderly population increases,the number of patients with gastric cancer has also been increasing.Elderly people have various preoperative problems such as malnutrition,high frequency of comorbidities,decreased performance status,and dementia.Furthermore,when surgery is performed,high postoperative complication rates and death from other diseases are also concerns.The goal of surgery in the elderly is that short-term outcomes are comparable to those in nonelderly,and long-term outcomes reach life expectancy.Perioperative problems in the elderly include:(1)Poor perioperative nutritional status;(2)Postoperative pneumonia;and(3)Psychological problems(dementia and postoperative delirium).Malnutrition in the elderly has been reported to be associated with increased postoperative complications and dementia,pointing out the importance of nutritional management.In addition,multidisciplinary team efforts,including perioperative respiratory rehabilitation,preoperative oral care,and early postoperative mobilization programs,are effective in preventing postoperative pneumonia.Furthermore,there are many reports on the usefulness of laparoscopic surgery for the elderly,and we considered that minimally invasive surgery would be the optimal treatment after assessing preoperative risk.

Prevalence of Dementia and Its Associated Factors in Cotonou Teaching Hospital, Benin

Introduction: Dementia constitutes a public health hazard in developing countries. There is little data in the sub-Saharan region of African especially in Benin. Objective: Determining dementia hospitalization prevalence and identifying its associated factors in CNHU-HKM, Cotonou. Method: It was a cross-sectional, prospective, descriptive and analytical research conducted from October 2012 to July 2013 in the neurology department;it involved 251 patients aged 50 and above. Dementia screening was conducted using a modified and adapted Mini Mental Scale Examination (MMSE). Dementia clinical and etiological diagnoses were respectively conducted based on DMS-IV and HACHINSKI criteria. Results: Patients were averagely aged 60.9 ± 8.1. Sex ratio (Male/Female) was 1.07. Dementia prevalence was 8.8%. This rate increased proportionally with age, from 5.3% with patients aged below 60 to 12.7% with patients aged above 60. Degenerative dementia was the most predominant type (50%). Following multi-varied analysis, smoking (RC = 6.05 [IC 95% = 1.26 - 29.38] p = 0.0001) and stroke past records (RC = 6.05 [IC 95% = 1.26 - 29.38] p = 0.001) revealed to be the factors associated with dementia. Conclusion: This research showed that dementia affects a significant part of the aging population in CNHU-HKM. It is imperative to combat its associated factors so as to defuse its prevalence.

Detecting Dementia-Related Wandering Locomotion of Elders by Leveraging Active Infrared Sensors

For elders with dementia, wandering is among the most problematic, frequent and dangerous behavior. Managing wandering behavior has become increasingly imperative due to its high prevalence, negative outcomes and burden on caregivers. We study to propose an active infrared-based method to identify wandering locomotion by monitoring rhythmical repetition of an elder’s indoor motion events. Specifically, we utilize our customized active infrared sensors to collect human indoor motions that will be converted into motion events by using hardware redundancy technique. Each motion event is a directed motion obtained via introducing temporal and dimensions into the spatial motion data. Based on the most cited spatial-temporal patterns of wandering locomotion, a spatiotemporal model is then proposed to identify wandering locomotion from an ongoing sequence of motion events. Experimental evaluation on eight individuals’ real-world motion datasets has shown that our proposed method is able to effectively identify wandering locomotion from repetitive events collected from active infrared sensors with a value over 98% for both accuracy and precision based on properly chosen parameters. Wandering in elders with dementia that follow specific spatiotemporal patterns can be reliably identified by analyzing repetitive motion events collected from active infrared sensors based on the well-known spatiotemporal patterns of wandering locomotion.

Characteristic Autonomic Nervous Activity of Institutionalized Elders with Dementia

This study clarified the characteristic autonomic nervous activity of institutionalized elders diagnosed with dementia using Hasegawa’s Dementia Scale-Revised. Twenty-six healthy adult persons (HPs) in their 20 s - 40 s met the inclusion criteria, and 16 persons (27.6 ± 8.2 years old) completed the research procedure. Of 70 persons with dementia (PDs) residing at the one geriatric health services facilities, only 24 persons met the inclusion criteria, and only nine (N = 9, 83.44 ± 9.45 years old) completed the procedure. Actigraph and ambulatory electrocardiographic instruments measuring autonomic nervous activity were attached to the subjects for 24 hours. Activities and behaviors of PDs and HPs were observed by clinically experienced staff nurses and care workers. High frequency (HF) power indicating parasympathetic activity and LF/HF ratio indicating sympathetic activity were calculated. When awake, PDs’ LF/HF ratio was significantly lower than HP’s (Z = -2.60, p < 0.01), showing significant differences in the LF/HF ratios between waking and sleeping, more than those of the PDs (p < 0.001). Similarly, when awake, significant positive correlations were observed in the LF/HF ratio and actigraph activity count (AC) in 11 HPs and 3 PDs (range r = 0.17 to 0.49, p < 0.05);however, significant negative correlation was found in HF and AC of 12 HPs and 3 PDs (range r = -0.55 to -0.18, p < 0.05). While sleeping, significant positive correlations were observed in LF/HF and AC of 3 HPs and 1 PD (range r = 0.35 to 0.42, p < 0.05) and significant negative correlation was found in the HF and AC of 1 HP (r= -0.32, p < 0.001) and 1 PD (r = -0.32, p < 0.05). The mean value of LF/HF in a wakeful state was significantly lower for PDs than HPs. Combined results of behavioral observation, actigrapy and heart rate variability (HRV) analyses suggested that PDs showed positive correlations between LF/HF and AC in a wakeful state. Compared to those who showed no positive correlation, they did not require much nursing care.

Late Life Vascular Risk Factors and Their Association with Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

Background:Epidemiological studies have demonstrated associations between higher levels of vascular risk factors in midlife and later development of dementia,particularly Alzheimer’s disease(AD).However,in elderly subjects with dementia,some studies have shown that these associations may decrease or even reverse.Therefore,the study aimed to find the association between late life cardiovascular risk factors and neurodegenerative dementia in general and AD in particular.Methods:It is a retrospective case control study using electronic medical records that included elderly patients that were reviewed in Ahmadi hospital geriatric clinic,Kuwait,from the period of 1/7/2019 to 1/2/2020.Two hundred and three(203)elderly patients with neurodegenerative dementia(study group)were recruited for this retrospective study and compared to two hundred and one(201)controls with normal cognition for the presence of vascular risk factors.Results:The study included 404 subjects.Age ranged from 60 to 107 years(mean age 78.79,±8.13 SD).AD was found to be the most prevalent type of dementia in the study group,as 49.3%(100/203)of the demented patients were diagnosed with AD.No significant statistical association was found between vascular risk factors and dementia(P>0.05),except for obesity which showed a negative association(P<0.001).Regarding AD,no statistical significance was found between AD and diabetes,hyperlipidemia,smoking nor atrial fibrillation.On the other hand,the authors found obesity and hypertension more prevalent in the normal cognition group(negative association with P value<0.001,0.05 respectively).Conclusions:The results of the study support an emerging concept that,while elevated levels of vascular risk factors in midlife increase the risk of development of dementia and AD later in life,once dementia begins,these associations may be diminished or reversed in the elderly.

Utility of nelson’s modified card sorting test in patients with alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia

Aim: In this study we used the Nelson’s Modified Card Sorting Test (MCST) to find the differences between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) group/Vascular dementia (VD) group and a normal control group (non-dementia and non-AD), and to identify the commonality between the MCST and dementia patients. Patients and Methods: The MCST was administered to 32 AD patients, 18 vascular dementia patients, and 38 controls. The relationship between the MCST performance and demographic characteristics was evaluated. Results: There were no statistical differences in age, sex, level of education, smoking, drinking and depression in the three groups. The MCST was classified into four groups for analysis—number of categories completed (Cat), preservative error score (PE), non-preservative error score (NPE), unique error (UE) and total error (TE). For Cat, UE and TE showed a significant difference in all three groups, whereas PE and NPE revealed no significant difference. Conclusion: These findings suggest that cognitive function appears to significantly impair MCST performances in AD and VD patients, so these should be taken into consideration during an interpretation of the clinical assessment. For the effective use of the MCST in a clinical setting, further studies of specific clinical populations are planned to develop normative data for elderly Taiwan Residents people.

Effects of Free Time on Quality of Life in Elderly Caregivers

Caregivers who contribute to health care of their patients are significantly more likely to experience emotional difficulty,physical difficulty,and financial difficulty,than caregivers who do not contribute.This study aimed to examine the effects of free time on health-related quality of life among elderly caregivers of dementia patients.In the intervention group,caregivers set aside free time every 30 minutes three times a week,while continuing to care for patients.During the free time,caregivers were free to spend time at home and do whatever they wanted.The control group received only usual care.The intervention period was six months.The Vi­tality subscale score of the SF-36 decreased significantly in the interven­tion group,despite more than half(57.1%)of participants showing im­provements or no change in the rank of this subscale relative to baseline,as assessed by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test(not significant).Caregivers indicated that daily caregiving resulted in an accumulation of physical fatigue,and they continued to have little mental leeway.Caregivers also had difficulty securing free time,which may have hindered improvements to their vitality.There is a need to develop a home-based program that can alleviate caregiver stress and improve their quality of life.

中国“失智症防治行动”任务清单的建议:基于WHO全球行动视角

失智症作为重大公共卫生问题引起了全球的广泛关注,早期识别认知功能障碍的高危人群和针对风险因素进行干预,有助于预防失智症和延缓疾病进展。中国老年失智症患者数量的快速增长给防治体系、健康促进、社会支持及研究创新等工作带来挑战,制定“失智症防治行动”任务清单具有必要性,但目前仍处于探索阶段。本文结合WHO发起的“2017—2025年失智症公共卫生应对全球行动计划”,从WHO全球行动视角,结合中国政策及实践现状,从失智症防治风险因素干预、“以人为本”的照护、社会支持、信息系统建设、创新研究与科技转化等方面提出中国“失智症防治行动”任务清单,将中国当前的失智症防治重点及现实资源结合起来,以供相关失智症防治决策及实践参考。

虚拟现实技术在轻中度认知障碍老年人群中的应用进展

轻度认知障碍(MCI)是介于认知正常与痴呆之间认知功能损害的临床状态,是痴呆的重要前期阶段,严重干扰老年人的日常活动,并增加家庭和社会负担。虚拟现实技术(VR)将认知刺激元素与虚拟沉浸相结合,可用于临床上筛查轻中度认知障碍、改善老年人群认知功能、提高日常生活能力等。本文对VR的概述与分类,在轻中度认知障碍老年人群中的应用进行综述,旨在为我国养老机构、社区和临床等领域构建VR干预方案提供理论支持,并对VR与现代医学的结合提出展望。

失智老人照顾者照护能力现状调查及影响因素分析

[目的]了解失智老人照顾者照护能力现状及其影响因素。[方法]采用失智老人一般资料问卷、照顾者一般资料问卷、失智照顾者照护情况问卷对245名失智老人及其照顾者进行调查。[结果]失智老人照顾者照护能力得分57.80分±15.64(满分105分);单因素分析显示:照顾者的年龄、文化程度、是否接受失智照护知识培训、与病人的关系影响照顾者的照护能力;多元回归分析显示:失智老人是否伴有其他慢性病及照顾者的年龄、与失智老人的关系以及是否接受失智照护知识培训是照顾者照护能力的影响因素。[结论]失智老人照顾者照护能力偏低,提示医护人员以及相关部门应加强对照顾者失智症相关知识的培训,提高照顾者照护能力。