Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Oct 8;9(5):130.
doi: 10.3390/geriatrics9050130.

Demographics, Clinical Characteristics, and Well-Being of Veterans with TBI and Dementia and Their Caregivers

Linda O Nichols  1   2 , Jennifer Martindale-Adams  1   2 , Ronald T Seel  3 , Jeffrey K Zuber  1   2 , Paul B Perrin  4   5
Affiliations

Demographics, Clinical Characteristics, and Well-Being of Veterans with TBI and Dementia and Their Caregivers

Linda O Nichols et al. Geriatrics (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: This study provides a detailed examination of older Veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and dementia and their caregivers, focusing on Veterans' demographic, clinical, functional, safety risk, and behavioral characteristics and caregivers' demographic, clinical, and care-related characteristics and well-being.

Methods: Veterans' caregivers (N = 110) completed a telephone-based survey.

Results: Veterans averaged eight comorbid health conditions, with over 60% having chronic pain, hypertension, post-traumatic stress disorder, or depression. Caregivers reported helping with an average of three activities of daily living, with the highest percentages of Veterans needing assistance with grooming, dressing, and bathing. Almost all Veterans needed assistance with shopping, cooking, medication management, housework, laundry, driving, and finances. Veterans averaged two safety risks, the most common being access to dangerous objects, access to a gun, and not being able to respond to emergency situations. Although Veterans averaged 14 behavioral concerns, caregivers reported that their family needs relating to TBI were generally met or partly met, and they voiced confidence in their ability to respond to behaviors and control their upsetting thoughts. Caregivers' mean burden score was severe, while mean depression and anxiety scores were mild. Caregivers reported an average of 10.5 h per day providing care and 20.1 h per day on duty.

Conclusions: The findings demonstrate the increased presence of impairments, safety risks, and behavioral issues in Veterans with comorbid TBI and dementia, as well as increased impacts on families' burdens and care provision requirements. Clinicians should be alert for and educate TBI patients and caregivers on the warning signs of post-TBI dementia and its associated functional, behavioral, and safety risk profile, as well as challenges related to caregiver well-being. Healthcare policymakers must consider the increased caregiver demands associated with comorbid TBI and dementia, as well as the need for expanded long-term support and services.

Keywords: caregivers; dementia; traumatic brain injury; veterans.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

References

    1. DOD TBI Worldwide Numbers Military Health System. [(accessed on 28 May 2024)]. Available online: https://health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Centers-of-Excellence/Traumati....
    1. Bell R.S., Vo A.H., Neal C.J., Tigno J., Roberts R., Mossop C., Dunne J.R., Armonda R.A. Military Traumatic brain and spinal column injury: A 5-year study of the impact blast and other military grade weaponry on the central nervous system. J. Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2009;66:S104–S111. doi: 10.1097/TA.0b013e31819d88c8. - DOI - PubMed
    1. McKee A.C., Robinson M.E. Military-related traumatic brain injury and neurodegeneration. Alzheimers Dement. 2014;10:S242–S253. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2014.04.003. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Akhanemhe R., Stevelink S.A.M., Corbett A., Ballard C., Brooker H., Creese B., Aarsland D., Hampshire A., Greenberg N. Is lifetime traumatic brain injury a risk factor for mild cognitive impairment in veterans compared to non-veterans? Eur. J. Psychotraumatol. 2024;15:2291965. doi: 10.1080/20008066.2023.2291965. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gu D., Ou S., Liu G. Traumatic brain injury and risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Neuroepidemiology. 2021;56:4–16. doi: 10.1159/000520966. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources