ABSTRACT
Estimations indicate that a member of the family defined as caregiver nurses 80% of the patients affected by dementia in Italy at home. The term care giving refers to activities and experiences able to provide help and assistance to relatives or friends who are unable to live on their own. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of day-care center for patients affected by dementia and behavioral symptoms on burden perceived by caregiver. The introduction of a patient in a daily center results an effective support also for the family member who shows that the progressive awareness of the illness. Therefore, the taking care of all the problems linked to the role of caregiver is essential either to reduce the burden which lies on the welfare state and to realize a sort of "rehabilitation home" of the patient's cognitive behavioral and functional disorders. In this way, we could postpone as far as possible the institutionalization of the patient affected by dementia.