A Systematic Review of Factors Influencing the Burden of Family Caregivers in Caring for Elderly with Dementia

Abstract

Background: The aging is the final cycle of human life, and one of the disturbances of aging which occurs in the elderly is dementia. Elderly with dementia will experience changes in the pattern of daily life activities, and therefore require total care from the family. There are some reasons of the family for caring for the elderly at home, among others, include the expression of devotion to the parents, respect, and affection towards the parents. The burden of elderly caregivers may lead to a stressful condition which can manifest in depression and frustration, and will finally affect the welfare of the elderly and the family. Purpose: This study aimed to describe the factors influencing the burden of the family caregivers in caring for the elderly with dementia, and to identify the physical and psychologic factors associated with the caregiver burden. Methods: A systematic review of three databases, including CINAHL, PubMed, and ScienceDirect was carried out by exploring relevant articles published in 2008 to 2017. The keywords of burden, elderly caregiver, and dementia were used. Seventy potentially relevant articles were selected out of 4.210. After a further review, 16 articles met the inclusion criteria and were used in this study. Results:The results revealed that factors influencing the burden of family caregivers in caring for the elderly with dementia include family support, family socioeconomic ability, and family coping mechanisms. The burden will get higher when the caregivers play double roles, i.e., caring for the elderly and working to earn a living. The quality of life of the family caregivers can be well promoted if the influencing factors can be resolved. Conclusion: Three factors influence the caregivers' burden, including family support, socioeconomic factor, and family coping. Of the three factors, family support is the most influential factor in caring for the elderly with dementia.

Knowledge and Attitudes Towards People with Dementia among General Population in Yogyakarta

“…It may cause burden and pessimistic attitude toward people with dementia [33]. There were many factors that impact family burden to provide care for people with dementia, such as family support, financial resources, and how they cope with these situations [34]. As we mentioned before, attitude measurement has shown that the total score of pessimistic and optimistic factors had slight difference.…”