Informal caregiver of dependent person in self-care: Burden-related factors

Abstract

Introduction: Societal changes have led to an increasing number of people dependent for self-care, with the need for support from a family member/informal caregiver. The performance of this role can lead to burden and exhaustion. Objectives: To assess the burden of the dependent person’s informal caregiver and to identify factors associated with caregiver burden. Methodology: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 164 informal caregivers of people dependent for self-care. The questionnaire included data on the dependent person (sociodemographic and clinical) and the caregiver (sociodemographic, family, professional, experience, information received, and burden using the Zarit Burden Interview). Results: Most caregivers were women (82.9%), living with the dependent person (70.1%), 62.2% of them had help and spent an average of 105.65 (± 54) hours/week in caring. More than half of the caregivers were severely burdened (57.7; ± 13.9), which was associated with the preparation to provide care and the areas and duration of dependence. More information about the illness and how to care for the dependent person were associated with lower levels of burden. Conclusion: The factors associated with the severe burden experienced by informal suggest that nurses should invest in preventive interventions.