Emotional Reactions towards Perceived Loss of Function in Older Chinese People with Dementia

Objectives: To evaluate emotional response towards perceived loss of activities of daily living in Chinese elders with dementia.

Partients and Methods: Eighty one elderly people with a clinical diagnosis of dementia were recruited from residential homes and social centre for the elderly in Hong Kong. A purpose-designed questionnaire on subjective evaluation of ability and emotional reactions towards functional deterioration was derived. The association between the subjective evaluation of ability, emotional reactions, ado actual activities of daily living performance measured by the Chinese version of Disability Assessment for Dementia was evaluated.

Results: There were no significant correlations between subjective evaluation of ability and the emotional reactions towards functional impairment Subjects reported greater higher emotional distress over possible loss of basic activities of daily living than instrumental activities of daily living (t = 3.04, p = 0.003). Subjects with better basic activities of daily living abilities were likely to report greater distress if their instrumental activities of daily living were impaired (Spearman's rho = 0.30, p = 0.01).

Conclusions: Although elderly people with dementia may have compromised cognitive abilities, attention to functional training is an important means of improving their emotional well-being.

目的：評估患有癡呆症的長者對喪失認知日常活動能力在情緒方面的影響。

患者與方法：共邀請81名來自長者院合及老人中心、患有癡呆症的華裔長者參與研究。研究包括一份以特定內容為目的的間發調查，被訪者在己身功能衰退後在活動能力和情緒反應方面作主觀評估。研究亦分析以「癡呆患者殘疾評估」中文版本計算出來的主觀能力評估、情緒反應，以及實際日常活動能力之間的相互性。

結果：主觀能力評估和情緒反應並無顯著關係。受訪者對可能喪失基本功能所造成的心理困擾，要較喪失技術性功能的嚴重( t = 3.04; p = 0.003 )。此外，擁有較佳基本功能的長者，對技術性功能受損能導致較嚴重的心理困擾 (Spearman’s rho = 0.3; p = 0.0 1 ) 。

結論：儘管患有癡呆的長者認知能力受損，日常功能的訓練對他們的情緒健康仍然重要。