Effect of care manager support on health-related quality of life of caregivers of impaired elderly: One-year longitudinal study

The aim of this study was to identify factors related to the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of caregivers providing continuing home care for the impaired elderly focusing mainly on care managers' support given to caregivers. Two interviews over a course of 12 months were conducted with 42 caregivers. The questionnaire items for the caregivers included demographic variables, HRQOL, the satisfaction level of care managers, coping ability, and depressive state. For the impaired elderly, the questionnaire items included demographic variables, abilities of activities of daily living, dementia assessment, and depressive state. The mean age of the caregivers was 66.1 +/- 8.8. By logistic regression analysis with HRQOL as a dependent variable, the caregivers' physical QOL was significantly related to the depressive state of impaired elderly and the caregivers' satisfaction with their care manager, whereas the caregivers' mental QOL was significantly related to the caregivers' sense of coherence and satisfaction with their care manager. These results suggest that the care managers' support to caregivers who provide continuing home care is important for caregivers' HRQOL.