Article

About 30% of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) need some form of home
care assistance, with 80% of that assistance provided by informal or unpaid care
givers. This study focuses on the care givers to 530 more disabled people with
MS, with the objective to learn more about informal care giving to people with
greater dependency and need for assistance. METHOD: The data presented in this
study were collected in a national survey of 530 informal care givers to people
with MS who have greater levels of physical dependency. RESULTS: About 70% of
informal care givers responded that assisting the person with MS perform daily
activities or personal care took up the largest amount of their care giving time.
Care givers also reported a range of home and community-based services that would
make care giving easier or improve the care provided. However, informal care
givers generally reported low satisfaction with health insurance coverage of
these services, especially coverage by health maintenance organizations and other
managed care plans. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of health insurance coverage of needed home
and community-based services can reduce the quality of informal care provided, as
well as increase the burden of informal care giving.

Langue : ANGLAIS