Analytical approach:
The economic evaluation was undertaken as part of a quasi-experimental cohort study which was conducted over five years. The perspective was not reported.
Effectiveness data:
The main outcome was caregivers' health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL). Other outcomes considered due to the potential impact on costs and caregivers' HRQoL were survival and time before moving to a nursing home. These data were from the cohort study. Letters of invitation were sent to all those over 70 years old, who were receiving social services in two districts, which were selected based on their similar sociodemographic structures and levels of public service use. A formal process was followed to determine a diagnosis of dementia. For this study, the person with dementia and their family caregiver were a dyad. Dyads from the intervention district (n=153) were compared with dyads from the control district (n=155). Family caregivers were categorised as spouses or cohabitants; children, children's spouses, grandchildren or siblings; and others.
Monetary benefit and utility valuations:
Caregivers' HRQoL was measured using EQ-5D utility outcomes. Two subsets were evaluated: people with dementia who lived at home; and people with dementia who had moved to a nursing home.
Measure of benefit:
The HRQoL results were presented separately and not combined with the costs to provide a summary outcome.
Cost data:
The cost categories were the costs of home help, adult day care, nursing home, and the intervention. Resource use for home help, adult day care and specific nursing home placement were collected annually by the district administrators. Tariffs from the local setting were used to value the resource use. Tariffs from home help services included the provision of a security alarm, meals on wheels and other services to support the person with dementia and family caregiver. Further resource use was obtained during the telephone interviews and questionnaires administered every three months. The intervention cost was based on labour. The costs for premises for meetings, and those of the caregiver in attending, were not considered. All tariffs and costs were adjusted to 2010 using the consumer price index. Costs were presented in Euros (EUR).
Analysis of uncertainty:
Variability in the data was presented, but no analysis of uncertainty was undertaken.