Dependence is associated with advanced
age, is a consequence of fragility, and entails some degree of support from
others (caregivers) to carry out, supplement and assist in activities of daily
living. However, caregiver burden can have negative effects on health, especially
on mental health (mainly anxiety and depression), although it is also
associated with physical complaints (back pain, headache and muscle pain). Moreover, the convergence of social isolation, lack of free time,
family strife and a deteriorating economic situation have given rise to what
some authors call “caregiver syndrome”. This condition has a negative impact on
caregivers’ quality of life, necessitating a comprehensive approach that
encompasses care for both patients and the people who look after them.
In this paper, an
observational, retrospective e, single-center study was carried
out to assess the impact of improved management in diabetes on caregiver
burden. The authors assessed patients’ performance of activities of daily
living using the Barthel scale and also collected data on social, demographic and
clinical variables for both patients and caregivers. Caregivers
had a mean (SD) age of 59.9 ± 16.7 years old, and 63.3% were women. They
dedicated an average 10.7 ± 7.2 hours per day to caregiving activities. And 60
patients included in the analysis had a mean age of 83.1 ± 4.9 years old, and
63.3% were men. The primary outcome was caregiver burden, as assessed using the Zarit
scale.
At baseline, 81.4%
of the caregivers reported severe overburden (>55 points on the Zarit
scale). At three months, the proportion of caregivers reporting this level of
burden had dropped to 76.7% and remained stable at six months (77.1%). In
contrast, 8.5% of the caregivers reported moderate overburden (47 to 55 points)
at baseline, compared to 13.3% at three months and 12.5% at six. The proportion
of caregivers reporting no overburden (<47 points) was similar at all-time
points (10.2%, 10.0% and 10.4% at baseline, three months and six months,
respectively).
In conclusion, caregiver
burden remained persistently high, decreasing only slightly after six months. Based on the results, there is an urgent need for designing and
implementing techniques that ease, improve or support caregivers in their
labor. Besides, the caregivers of multipathological, frail, elderly people may
require emotional, social, financial and health-related interventions.
Effectively addressing their needs will allow them to continue to look after
their charges without compromising their own well-being.
Article by José
Miguel Seguí Ripoll, et al, from Spain.
Full access: http://mrw.so/4TTd68
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