Although not documented in Kenya, caregivers to people with dementia are often called “invisible second patients” due to the high rates of psychological morbidity and physical ill-health (Brodaty & Donkin, 2009). Caring for a person with dementia is particularly associated with reduced self-efficacy, quality of life, mental health (including depression and anxiety), physiological changes such as irregular immune and metabolic function, cardiovascular reactivity, and increased stress hormones e.g., cortisol which may contribute to impaired cognitive function, risk of developing obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and inflammation. In addition, some carers report physical exertions due to little time for exercise and preparation of healthy meals (Cuijpers, 2005; Richardson et al., 2013; Sörensen et al., 2006).

References:

Brodaty, H., & Donkin, M. (2009). Family caregivers of people with dementia. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 11(2), 217-228. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2009.11.2/hbrodaty

Cuijpers, P. (2005). Depressive disorders in caregivers of dementia patients: a systematic review. Aging & Mental Health, 9(4), 325–330. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607860500090078

Richardson, T. J., Lee, S. J., Berg-Weger, M., & Grossberg, G. T. (2013). Caregiver health: health of caregivers of Alzheimer’s and other dementia patients. Current Psychiatry Reports, 15(7), 367. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-013-0367-2

Sörensen, S., Duberstein, P., Gill, D., & Pinquart, M. (2006). Dementia care: mental health effects, intervention strategies, and clinical implications. The Lancet Neurology, 5(11), 961–973.  https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(06)70599-3