Abstract: Objective: To investigate the current status of caregiver guilt among family caregivers of old aged dementia patients, analyze the potential characteristic differences among different profiles, and inform the development of targeted guilt management strategies. Methods: A cross-sectional study using convenience sampling recruited 697 family old aged dementia patients in Nanning from May 2023 to June 2024. Data were collected using Caregiver Guilt Questionnaire. Latent Profile Analysis was conducted to classify caregiver guilt profile, while multinomial Logistic regression analysis were employed to analyze differences in demographic characteristics across the profiles. Results: Caregiver guilt among family caregivers was categorized into three profiles: "low guilt-positive coping group" (29.70%), "moderate guilt-ambivalent group" (40.32%), and "high guilt-ineffective coping group" (29.99%). Factors influencing the latent guilt profiles included the patient's place of residence, whether caregiver has been hired, and the caregiver's gender, category, and educational level. Conclusion: Caregiver guilt among family caregivers of old aged dementia patients exhibits distinct classification patients. Community healthcare providers should accurately identify caregivers in the "high guilt-ineffective coping group" profile and develop targeted interventions to reduce guilt and improve the quality of home-based care.

Key words: dementia; family caregiver; caregiver guilt; latent profile analysis; nursing