Quality of Life and Burden of Caregivers of Elderly People

Abstract

Objective: to assess caregivers’ quality of life and correlate it with elderly people’s quality of life, as well as assess the burden of caregivers of elderly people hospitalized in an Emergency Service and correlate it with their quality of life. Method: this is a cross-sectional and analytical study conducted with 250 caregivers of elderly patients admitted to the Emergency Service of Hospital São Paulo, Brazil, from December 2015 to January 2017. To assess caregivers’ quality of life, the generic Short-Form-36 questionnaire, item short-form health survey was used; burden was assessed using the Zarit Burden Interview. Results: the mean age was 48.36 years, with a predominance of females, most of whon were elderly people’s children. Caregivers showed mild to moderate burden, and in quality of life assessment, the most compromised domains were general health status, vitality, and social aspects. The Short-Form-36 dimensions that had a significant correlation with Zarit Burden Interview scores were physical aspect, general health status, vitality, social aspects, and emotional aspect. Conclusion: caregivers’ quality of live is associated with elderly people’s quality of life. Burden is related to the worsening quality of life of caregivers. It is necessary to identify the work demands and specific needs of caregivers of elderly people in order to develop care strategies involving this population.