The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on people with mild cognitive impairment/dementia and on their caregivers.

BACKGROUND: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was first detected in Mainland China in December 2019, and soon it spread throughout the world, with multiple physical and psychological consequences across the affected populations. AIMS: The aim of the current study was to analyze the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI)/dementia and their caregivers as well. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and four caregivers took part in the study, completing a self-reported questionnaire about the person with MCI/dementia and their own, since the lockdown period which started in February and ended in May of 2020 in Greece. RESULTS: Results indicated a significant overall decline of the people with MCI/dementia. Further, the domains in which people with MCI/dementia were mostly affected were: communication, mood, movement and compliance with the new measures. Caregivers also reported a great increase in their psychological and physical burden during this period, where the available support sources were limited. DISCUSSION: The pandemic threatens to disrupt the basic routines that promote mental and physical health of both people with MCI/dementia and t heir caregivers. CONCLUSION: Further measures to protect and provide support to people who suffer and their families are needed.

Sleep, Diet, and Exercise: How Much Dementia Caregivers Are Affected?

The current descriptive study reports the sleep, diet, and exercise patterns among 114 dementia caregivers, whose mean age was 55.7 (SD: 10.4) years, with 83 (72.8%) being women. The results indicate significant sleep dysfunction: 37.2% of caregivers reported rarely or never feeling rested upon waking, and 46.5% did not get enough sleep, with 45.6% sleeping only 5 to 5.5 h on average. Sleep latency was also prevalent, as 33.3% required 16 to 30 min to fall asleep. Dietary habits showed reliance on coffee, with 69.4% consuming it daily. Meat consumption was reported by 75%, and 60.9% ate pasta, indicating common dietary preferences. While 86.2% had one to three meals per day, 100% of the caregivers supplemented their diets with vitamins. The physical activity level was low, with 62.3% of respondents reporting no exercise in the past week. These findings underscore significant health concerns among dementia caregivers, including sleep deprivation, inadequate nutrition, and physical inactivity. The report emphasizes the need for targeted interventions to promote self-care practices that can enhance caregivers' health, including better sleep hygiene, balanced nutrition, and regular exercise.