Caregiver Role Strain in Informal Caregivers for the Elderly

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the frequency of the “caregiver role strain” nursing diagnosis in informal caregivers for the elderly, the defining characteristics and the related factors. Method: a cross-sectional, descriptive study carried out with 99 informal caregivers for elderly residents living in the areas covered by five units of the Family Health Strategy of Cuiabá, Mato Grasso, Brazil. Data collect took place between July and September 2017, through home interviews. A questionnaire elaborated from the literature on the diagnosis A questionnaire elaborated from the literature on the diagnosis caregiver role strain established by NANDA-International taxonomy II was used. A descriptive analysis with relative and absolute frequency was accomplished. Results: the frequency of the “caregiver role stress” nursing diagnosis found in caregivers was 98.0%. The most common defining characteristics were: difficulty in seeing the care receiver with the disease (69.1%); apprehension about the future health of the care recipient (66.0%); apprehension about the welfare of the care recipient, if the caregiver is unable to offer it (61.9%); apprehension about the future ability to provide care (60.8%); apprehension about the possible institutionalization of the care recipient (55.7%); concern with the routine care (55.7%) and social isolation (51.5%). The related factors most frequently found were: duration of care (92.8%); 24-hour a day care responsibilities (75.3%); dependence (77.3%) and alteration in the cognitive function was (73.2%) in the elderly; physical conditions (73.2%) and codependency of the caregiver (61.9%). Conclusion: the frequency of the “caregiver role strain” nursing diagnosis found in this study is high, its defining characteristics concerning mainly the caregiver's apprehension with the elderly and the related factors refer to the demands of the care provided. The nurse and other team’s professionals must pay attention to the caregivers as well as to the elderly being cared of in the health units, helping them to overcome the difficulties involved in performing their role.

Clinical Validation of the Nanda-I "Caregiver Role Strain" Nursing Diagnosis in the Context of Palliative Care

“…The first contained sociodemographic and care context data. The second presented the list of defining characteristics, with each participant being asked to inform to what extent each characteristic was indicative of their feelings and/or behaviors, with five answer options: nothing characteristic of me (1); very uncharacteristic of me (2); characteristic in some way (3); quite characteristic (4); and very characteristic (5). Presence of the defining characteristic was considered when a score ≥ 3 was obtained.…”

“…Aspects related to the caregiver's conditions and to the negative impacts of this practice on their own lives have been the object of several studies nowadays. In these research studies, care recipients are very diverse: older adults 2 , people with dementia [3][4][5] , physical dependence 6 or cancer [7][8] and people in a palliative care situation [9][10] among others.…”

Educational Intervention to Increase the Skill of Informal Caregivers: A Quasi-Experimental Pilot Study

“…It is emphasized that the actions need to be concentrated, mainly, in the home environment, contemplating guidance on care, information on the family's health condition, in addition to adaptations in the physical environment, which can facilitate daily life and also accept caregivers' demands, promote a qualified listening of feelings and difficulties they face 3 .…”

“…Frequently, the demands of these individuals go unnoticed by health professionals. A study carried out with informal caregivers of older adults identified that most participants had difficulty in exercising their role, which can negatively impact the health of all involved and the quality of care provided 3 .…”

O impacto do isolamento social na qualidade de vida dos idosos durante a pandemia por COVID-19

“…O distanciamento do convívio com a comunidade é tolerado de forma diferente pelos grupos de idosos que possuem companhia, seja ela de familiares, cônjuges ou amigos, lidando com as consequências desse isolamento de forma mais branda. No entanto, idosos que vivem sozinhos ou em ILPs, que têm seu contato reduzido com familiares ou mesmo com a sociedade, sofrem as consequências do distanciamento social de forma mais intensa [23][24].…”