Needs Assessment of People with Dementia and Impact of Caregiver Burden

Population structures are changing in many developed countries, and Korean society is currently one of the fastest ageing worldwide.1 This circumstance is due to a rapidly decreasing birth rate and an increasing life expectancy in recent decades, and this situation is likely to continue for a prolonged period. A national epidemiological investigation predicted that Korea will move from an ageing society to a ‘superaged’ society in only 25 years, from 2000 to 2025, with 46.5% (18.3 million) of the population expected to be older than 65 years by 2067.1 This demographic change gives rise to substantial challenges in dealing with increased demands on medical services relating to chronic and degenerative diseases, particularly related to the increasing prevalence of dementia in elderly patients (which was 9.2% in 2014).2 The care needs of community-residing people with dementia are complex and depend on the severity of dementia symptoms, such as cognitive impairment, functional dependencies and behavioural and psychological symptoms.3