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Background: There is a lack of studies investigating the impact of postponed dental visits due to financial constraints on quality of life. Aims: The aim of this study was to identify whether these factors are associated longitudinally. Methods: Data were derived from waves 5 and 6 of the “Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe” (SHARE). The analysis focused on Germany (n= 7506). The widely used CASP-12 was used to quantify the quality of life. Postponed dental visits for financial reasons in the preceding 12 months (no, yes) were used as the main explanatory variable. Socioeconomic and health-related covariates were included in regression analysis. Results: Gender stratified regression analysis showed that quality of life decreased with the presence of postponed dental visits due to financial reasons in men. Furthermore, quality of life decreased with the worsening of self-rated health in both men and women. The outcome measure was not associated with age, marital status, income, and chronic diseases in both sexes. Discussion: Study findings suggest that postponing dental visits due to financial constraints contributes to a decreased quality of life among older men. Conclusion: Efforts to avoid these circumstances might help to maintain the quality of life in older men.

The following research questions are addressed: (1) What does the German public know about dementia? (2) Are social factors, care experience and contact with dementia patients associated with knowledge about dementia? (3) Is knowledge associated with attitudes/beliefs about dementia? Analyses are based on a German mail survey conducted in 2012. Sample consists of persons aged 18–79 years. 1795 persons filled out the questionnaire (response rate 78 %). Respondents were asked about their knowledge of and attitudes about dementia. Knowledge about cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and life impact of dementia is characterized by a relatively high uncertainty. People with care experiences and people from higher status groups know more about dementia. People with more knowledge are less likely to believe that dementia patients have a high quality of life, but tend to be less skeptical about early detection of dementia. To increase knowledge, reduce uncertainty and modify attitudes towards dementia and those who are afflicted, educational programs and contact-based approaches should be considered.

•Personality is a predictor of self-management in people with Multiple Sclerosis.•High neuroticism and low conscientiousness are associated with poor self-management.•Patients’ specific personality traits should be reflected in counseling and advising.

This paper presents the EUROFAMCARE study findings, examining a typology of care situations for family carers of older people, and the interplay of carers with social and health services. Despite the complexity of family caregiving situations across Europe, our analyses determined the existence of seven “caregiving situations,” varying on a range of critical indicators. Our study also describes the availability and use of different support services for carers and care receivers, and carers’ preferences for the characteristics of support services. Our findings have relevance for policy initiatives in Europe, where limited resources need to be more equitably distributed and services should be targeted to caregiving situations reflecting the greatest need, and organized to reflect the preferences of family carers.

Die Pflege von älteren betreuungsbedürftigen Menschen wird mehrheitlich von Angehörigen wie Lebenspartner und Kinder oder von anderen nahestehenden Personen übernommen. Nur wenige Studien vergleichen die aus der Pflege resultierende Belastung von Lebenspartnern mit der von anderen, meist jüngeren pflegenden Angehörigen. Die vorliegende Untersuchung basiert auf der deutschen Stichprobe des EU-geförderten Projektes EUROFAMCARE. In diese wurden 1003 betreuende Angehörige eingeschlossen, von denen 908 den Bedingungen der ambulanten Versorgung unterlagen. Diese wurden zu ihrer Beziehung zur betreuungsbedürftigen Person, zu ihren Motiven, der empfundenen Belastung (COPE-Index) und Lebensqualität (SF-36, WHO-5) untersucht. Hierbei wurde insbesondere auf die Situation pflegender Lebenspartner im Vergleich zu Pflegepersonen anderer Verwandtschaftsgrade fokussiert. Insgesamt wird die Mehrzahl der zu pflegenden Personen von weiblichen Angehörigen (76 %) versorgt, 19 % der Pflegepersonen waren Ehepartner oder Lebensgefährten. Hauptbetreuungsmotive waren eine enge Bindung oder das Gefühl der moralischen Verpflichtung. Lebenspartner zeigten eine höhere Belastung durch die Pflege und eine schlechtere Lebensqualität als andere Betreuungsgruppen. Faktoren, die mit einer erhöhten Pflegebelastung einhergehen, waren unter anderem Verhaltensauffälligkeiten der zu pflegenden Person, fehlende soziale Unterstützung und eigene gesundheitliche Probleme. Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung legen nahe, dass insbesondere pflegende Lebenspartner sowie emotional stark beteiligte Familienmitglieder des engeren Familienkreises unter der Pflegebelastung zu leiden haben. Aufgrund ihrer starken Betroffenheit sollte ihre Rolle in der Beurteilung des Pflegebedarfs z. B. im Rahmen der SGB XI-Pflegebedürftigkeitsbegutachtung oder in der ärztlichen wie pflegerischen Sozialanamnese der betreuungsbedürftigen Personen eine stärkere Berücksichtigung erfahren und entsprechende psychosoziale Beratungsangebote vermittelt werden.