Nearly 350,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) adults in the U.S. are currently living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Informal caregivers face challenges impacting their ability to access and receive adequate and inclusive care for LGBTQ+ persons living with ADRD. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the Savvy Caregiver Program for caregivers of LGBTQ+ individuals living with ADRD. Data for this secondary analysis come from caregivers (n = 17) who completed 6 sessions of the Savvy program. Caregivers were very satisfied with tailored program activities. Analyses of trends suggest non-significant increases in positive aspects of caregiving and decreases in caregiver burden and depressive symptoms. This is the first known study assessing the feasibility of the Savvy Caregiver Program for caregivers of LGBTQ+ individuals living with ADRD. Future research on the Savvy Caregiver Program for caregivers of LGBTQ+ people living with ADRD is needed.

Aims

To explore whether gait and/or balance disturbances are associated with the onset of Alzheimer's dementia (AD) among older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Design

This study employed a longitudinal retrospective cohort design.

Methods

We obtained data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center's Uniform Data Set collected from 35 National Institute on Aging Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers between September 2005 and December 2021. The mean age of participants (n = 2692) was 74.5 years with women making up 47.2% of the sample. Risk of incident AD according to baseline gait and/or balance disturbances as measured using the Postural Instability and Gait Disturbance Score, a subscale of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Motor Score, was examined by the Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusting for baseline demographics, medical conditions and study sites. The mean follow-up duration was 4.0 years.

Results

Among all the participants, the presence or the severity of gait and/or balance disturbances was associated with an increased risk of AD. The presence or the severity of gait and/or balance disturbances was associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer's dementia among the subgroups of female and male participants.

Conclusion

Gait and/or balance disturbances may increase the risk of developing AD, regardless of sex.

Impact

Gait and/or balance disturbances among community-dwelling older adults with amnestic MCI may need to be frequently assessed by nurses to identify potential risk factors for cognitive decline.

No patient or public contribution

Given the secondary analysis, patients, service users, caregivers or members of the public were not directly involved in this study.