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Dementia occurs with a frequency of 10-12% in the entire geriatric population and 33-50% in people over 90 years of age. The most common cause of dementia are: Alzheimer's disease, rarely vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia and Parkinson's disease with dementia. There are no medicaments to prevent dementia and effectively treat it. The treatment only slows the progression and improves the quality of life of the patient and caregiver. Taking care of a patient with dementia burdens the caregiver. As the disease progresses, care time extends even to the entire day. Over 90% of caregivers in Poland are family carers. Over 90% of patients stay in their own home until death. The cost of care is high and increases with the duration of the disease. In the case of agitated patients, the cost is higher. Institutional care is more expensive than home care. In Poland, there are no good system solutions in care for a dementia patient. Caregivers do not receive proper support from the government and subordinate units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. With the progress of dementia, care needs increase substantially. Lack of adequate care support in community is among the reasons of early institutionalization of demented persons. Aim. The aim of the study is to compare the ‟support gap‟ in the Italian and Polish family caregivers of disabled older persons with probable dementia. Material and methods. The study was a secondary analysis of the EUROFAMCARE data, limited to the Polish (n=131) and Italian (n=293) caregivers who provided care and support for severely disabled relatives with memory impairment and behavioral disorders. The caregivers indicating a given type of support as very important and simultaneously not being met for them were defined as not provided with caring support, i.e. making a ‟support gap‟. Results. Regardless of the country, there were significant gaps between the preferred types of support and low use of these care services. The highest gaps referred to informational and organizational support, planning future care, and financial support. The findings confirmed widespread demand for care support among dementia caregivers in both countries; however the size of relevant support gaps differed between countries. Conclusions. In both countries there is an urgent need for the development of a respite care services for family caregivers, such as a temporary break from caring process. The special needs of family caregivers of demented older people ought to be taken into consideration by health and social care organizers, as well as policy makers in order to lower the care burden and to enhance caregivers' willingness to continue the care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]