Practical knowledge and life overload of caregivers of elderly with dementia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15448/1980-6108.2018.3.30569Keywords:
dementia, Alzheimer disease, spouse caregivers, aged, health of the elderly.Abstract
AIMS: To analyze the level of knowledge and the life overload of caregivers of elderly people with dementia, correlating these variables with sociodemographic aspects and type of relationship between caregiver and elderly.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between 2016 and 2017, with caregivers of elderly people with dementia seen at the Geriatrics outpatient clinic of the Hospital das Clínicas, Medical School of Marília, in Marília / SP, Brazil. The study included caregivers who accompanied the elderly to the consultations and participated in an important way in their care, comprising family caregivers and contractors without kinship ties. The data were collected through two instruments: the first was the Caregiven Burden Scale questionnaire, which evaluates the subjective impact of overload on the caregiver, and whose overall score can vary from 01 (lower overload) to 04 (higher overload). The second was a questionnaire prepared by the authors, which evaluated the caregiver's usual knowledge about the practice of care, whose scores ranged from zero (no correct answers) to 08 (all correct answers). The distribution curve of the variables was analyzed by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, the correlations were analyzed by the Spearman test and the comparison of the means used the Analysis of Variance. The results were considered statistically significant when p<0.05.
RESULTS: Fifty-two caregivers were included in the study, with a mean age of 55.9±14.4 years, of which 85% were female. Forty-four (84.6%) caregivers had some degree of kinship with the elderly. Regarding knowledge about the practice of care, the mean number of correct answers was 5.5±1.8. There was a positive correlation with statistical significance between the caregiver's level of education and the practical knowledge about care. In the assessment of the caregivers overload, the overall mean was 1.83±0.16. The dimension with the highest mean (2.06±0.37) was the general tension, which refers to the difficulties of solving problems when caring for the elderly. Regarding the type of relationship between caregiver and elderly, the highest overload (2.48±0.53) was identified in the wives.
CONCLUSIONS: The higher level of education of the caregiver was associated with better quality of care. The greatest caregiver life overload was identified in wives.
Downloads
References
Vieira CPBV, Fialho AVM, Freitas CHA, Jorge MSB. Práticas do cuidador informal do idoso no domicílio. Rev Bras Enferm. 2011;64(3):570-9. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-71672011000300023
Cristancho-Lacroix V, Wrobel J, Cantegreil-Kallen I, Dub T, Rouquette A, Rigaud AS. A Web-Based Psychoeducational Program for Informal Caregivers of Patients With Alzheimer's Disease: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2015;17(5):e117. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.3717
Souza LR, Hanus JS, Libera LBD, Silva VM, Mangilli EM, Simões PW, Ceretta LB, Tuon L . Sobrecarga no cuidado, estresse e impacto na qualidade de vida de cuidadores domiciliares assistidos na atenção básica. Cad Saúde Colet. 2015;23(2):140-9. https://doi.org/10.1590/1414-462X201500020063
Lima AMM, Sangaleti CT. Espaço do cuidador – o cuidado com quem cuida. In: Cuidar do idoso em casa. Limites e possibilidades. 1ª ed. São Paulo: Editora Unesp; 2010.
Engelhardt E, Brucki SMT, Cavalcanti JLS, Forlenza OV, Laks J. Vale FAC. Tratamento da doença de Alzheimer: recomendações e sugestões do departamento científico de neurologia cognitiva e do envelhecimento da Academia Brasileira de Neurologia. Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2005;63(4):1104-12. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0004-282X2005000600035
Silva d'Alencar R, Santos EMP, Pinto JBT. Alzheimer - Manual do cuidador: situações e cuidados práticos do cotidiano. 1ª ed. Ilhéus: EDITUS - Editora da UESC; 2010.
Bertolucci PHF, Brucki SMD, Campacci SR, Juliano Y. O mini-exame do estado mental em uma população geral: impacto da escolaridade. Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 1994;52:1-7. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0004-282X1994000100001
Rodrigues AB, Yamashita ET, Chiappetta ALML. Teste de fluência verbal no adulto e no idoso: verificação da aprendizagem verbal. Rev. CEFAC 2008;10(4):443-51. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-18462008000400004
Atalaia-Silva KC, Lourenço RA. Tradução, adaptação e validação de construto do Teste do Relógio aplicado entre idosos no Brasil. Rev Saúde Pública. 2008;42(5):930-7. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-89102008000500020
Katz S, Chinn AB. Multidisciplinary studies of illness in aged persons II: a new classification of functional status in activities of daily living. J Chronic Dis. 1959;9(1):55-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9681(59)90137-7
Lawton MP, Brody EM. Assessment of older people: self-maintaining and instrumental activities of daily living. Gerontologist. 1969;9(3):179-86. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/9.3_Part_1.179
Santos MD, Borges SM. Percepção da funcionalidade nas fases leve e moderada da doença de Alzheimer: visão do paciente e seu cuidador. Rev Bras Geriatr Gerontol. 2015;18(2):339-49. https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-9823.2015.14154
Brasil. Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego. Secretaria de Políticas Públicas de Emprego. Classificação Brasileira de Ocupações: CBO 5162-10. Brasília: MTE; 2002.
Freitas ALP, Rodrigues SG. A avaliação da confiabilidade de questionários: uma análise utilizando o coeficiente alfa de Cronbach. XII SIMPEP Bauru 2005 [cited 2017 july 23]. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236036099_A_avaliacao_da_confiabilidade_de_questionarios_uma_analise_utilizando_o_coeficiente_alfa_de_Cronbach
Medeiros, MMC, Ferraz MB, Quaresma MR, Menezes AP. Adaptação ao contexto cultural brasileiro e validação do "Caregiver Burden scale". Rev Bras Reumatol. 1998;38(4):193-9.
Hughes CP, Berg L, Danziger WL, Coben LA, Martin RL. A new clinical scale for the staging of dementia. Br J Psychiatry. 1982;140:566-72. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.140.6.566
Novelli MMPC, Nitrini, R, Caramelli P. Cuidadores de idosos com demência: perfil sociodemográfico e impacto diário. Rev Ter Ocup Univ São Paulo. 2010;21(2):139-47. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2238-6149.v21i2p139-147
Leite BS, Camacho CLF, Joaquim FL, Gurgel JL, Lima TR, Queiroz RS. A vulnerabilidade dos cuidadores de idosos com demência: estudo descritivo transversal. Rev Bras Enferm. 2017;70(4):714-20.
Neumann SMF, Dias CMS. Doença de Alzheimer: o que muda na vida do familiar cuidador? Rev Psicologia e Saúde. 2013;5(1):10-7.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2018 Scientia Medica
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright
The submission of originals to Scientia Medica implies the transfer by the authors of the right for publication. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication. If the authors wish to include the same data into another publication, they must cite Scientia Medica as the site of original publication.
Creative Commons License
Except where otherwise specified, material published in this journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, which allows unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is correctly cited.
