Comparison of the cognitive performance of elderly caregivers with and without chronic pain

Abstract

Objective: Understanding and characterizing chronic pain in elderly caregivers, verifying the cognitive performance of the elderly of the sample and verifying whether there is difference in the cognitive performance of elderly caregivers with and without chronic pain. Method: Participants were people aged 60 years or older who lived with another elderly person in the same household and who were registered in Family Health Units. Data collection took place at participants' homes. Pain was assessed by the EMADOR and cognition was assessed by ACE-R. Statistical analyzes were performed using Shapiro-Wilk's and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: The study included 187 elderly caregivers with chronic pain and 133 without chronic pain, with a higher frequency of women. Chronic pain was present in 58.4% of the participants. Regarding the sociodemographic variables, there was no difference between the groups except for the gender variable (p=0.025). No difference was found in cognitive performance among the elderly with chronic pain and those without chronic pain for any domain of the ACE-R instrument. Conclusion: The results contradicted the initial hypothesis that there would be a difference between the groups; however, there is a gap in the scientific knowledge on chronic pain and cognition, especially in elderly caregivers, opening perspectives for future investigations.

Musculoskeletal disorders of older adults: an integrative literature review

“…Of the 17 studies analyzed, five (4,7,12,16,18) associated with excessive care activities resulting in musculoskeletal disorders in caregivers. The overload of activities is characterized by the responsibility of caregivers to assume domestic tasks (12) , perform baths and transfers from older adults (6,12) and assist in the displacement of older adults (12) .…”

“…Sixteen articles (4)(5)(6)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22) address issues related to harms to the physical health of caregivers, highlighting the illness, the impairment, the regions of the body most affected and the main symptoms resulting from the sum of the feeling experienced by caregivers of older adults.…”

“…Among the musculoskeletal disorders most evident in caregivers of older adults due to care, the presence of pain is highlighted (4,6,(10)(11)18,21) in body segments (4,7,(11)(12)(13)(14)16,18) , mainly in the spine, upper and lower limbs, with moderate to intense pain intensity (6,14,17) , characterized by being persistent and uncomfortable. Other authors point to the presence of chronic musculoskeletal diseases in caregivers (4)(5)15) , such as arthritis, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis.…”

“…The presence of symptoms and/ or diseases of the musculoskeletal system are extremely common in people between 60 and 75 years old. Added to the age factor, there is the prolonged time of care and the execution of such activities with few resources and information, which increases the risks for illness (6) . Therefore, caring for older adults, especially those dependent on care, can have significant consequences for the caregiver's well-being (7) .…”

Avaliação de dor e nocicepção em idosos de uma instituição de curta permanência

“…As mulheres apresentam também uma diminuição significativa dos níveis de estrogênio após a menopausa, sendo esse outro fator que contribui para a perda óssea mais acelerada 15 . No estudo de Terassi 16 em São Carlos-SP, que também buscou caracterizar a dor em idosos, os locais mais frequentes de dor corroboram com o presente trabalho, destacando os membros inferiores e região lombar como predominantes. Porém, no estudo não havia como classificação a dor em articulações, sendo divididas pela região em que estão localizadas.…”