抄録
This study aimed to confirm the characteristics of male caregivers who provide skin care to a mother or wife with dementia living at home.
Participants were 90 male caregivers of a female family member with dementia who was living at home. We recruited participants from among: 1) caregivers of inpatients at the Special Hospital for Dementia, 2) members of the Male Caregivers Association, and 3) members of the Dementia Family Association. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire. The study period was from May 2017 to January 2018. We investigated the actual state of skin care and nursing care burden. We assessed care burden using the question “Do you have a physical, emotional, social, or financial care burden?” and the Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale-8. Participants’ self-esteem was assessed using the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale and the question “Do you have fun in your life?”
Caregivers who were the husband of the care recipient tended to be older. Those who were sons of the care recipient tended to be long-term caregivers, and their care recipient (mother) tended to be older. Care recipients who were wives received more skin care. Male caregivers that provided skin care had higher self-esteem than those that did not. We found that caregivers who were husbands wanted their wife to look beautiful or healthy. The key characteristic of male caregivers is treat oneself and mother or wife with dementia.
