International psychogeriatrics
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In spite of the recognized physical and psychosocial effects of caring for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), caregiver burden (CB) in this setting is poorly understood. The objective of this research was to identify factors that were associated with CB in an Australian population of PD caregivers using a novel instrument - the Parkinson's Disease Caregiver Burden (PDCB) questionnaire. ⋯ We found psychiatric and cognitive factors to be the most relevant factors in the perception of burden in PD caregivers. On top of this, we found deficits in the domain of visuoconstruction predicted burden - a relationship not yet described in literature. Targeting depression and anxiety in this setting as well as identifying caregivers at high risk of burden may give clinicians the chance to optimize care of patients with PD through the caregiver.
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Comment
Success at 100 is easier said than done--comments on Araújo et al: successful aging at 100 years.
Few would argue that achieving the age of 100 years is extraordinary, but what about the quality of life at this extreme age? Is it worth it to live to 100 and beyond? The study by Araújo, Ribero, Teixeira, and Paúl (2015) in three ways provided an answer to this question substantiating and complementing recent findings about successful aging in extreme old age (Poon and Perls, 2007; Martin et al., 2015). First, the study joined other investigators in asking whether the criteria for successful aging posed by Rowe and Kahn (1997) are applicable for older adults at the end stage of a very long life. ⋯ Pruchno et al., 2010; Cho et al., 2012). Finally, the study provided additional data on psychological, social, and economic resources that enhance the needed ingredients of successful aging at the century mark.