engleski

Perceived Caregiver Burden and Needs of Informal Caregivers of Elderly Persons with Alzheimer’s Disease

BACKGROUND: Informal caregivers often experience chronic physical and emotional stress due to care of the frail elderly living at home, who in many cases suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or some other type of dementia. This is the first study to provide insight about challenges of family caregiving for the elderly in Croatia. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine perceived burden and needs that family caregivers express both for medical and psychological care, as well as for the institutional and social support. METHODS: Using the survey method, we analysed the data collected from 114 convenient sampled participants who provide care for people age 65+. This study was a part of a larger research conducted in Zagreb and some other parts of county in cooperation with the City Office for Social Protection and People with Disabilities of the City of Zagreb. Caregiver Burden was assessed using Zarit Caregiver Burden Interviews (Zarit, 1983), while needs for formal and informal support were assessed using several measurement scales constructed for the purpose of this study. FINDINGS: Family caregivers, who are most often women (85%), average age of 55, fully employed (44%), perceive moderate burden (40.8±16.2). Satisfaction with the support provided by the medical staff was the only source of support that was significantly associated with perception of caregiver burden (r=-.22 p>.05). Caregiver burden was significantly higher among those who need services of home-care nurses, infirmary, psychologists or social workers. While assessing needs, we estimated that over 80% of participants do not receive any formal support (physiotherapy, services of home-care nurses, counselling, etc.). Those who receive support, get it mostly from home-care nurses (29%). Participants emphasised a need for help in providing physical care, e.g. taking bath (45%), taking persons to hospital for medical examination (50%) or doing house chores (55%). CONCLUSIONS: Assessing needs of caregivers is the first step in understanding specific problems of family caregivers. This work presents the foundation for future interventions, mainly in the field of providing better institutional and other forms of formal support.

caregiving at home, caregiver burden, caregiver needs

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