Development of the Care Burden Scale for Family of Elderly in Nursing Facilities

Abstract

Purpose: This study was conducted to develop a measurement scale for the care burden experienced by families of elderly individuals in nursing facilities.Methods: We developed a preliminary tool based on a broad range of past studies, including experiences of care burden for the families of the elderly in nursing facilities. This tool is anchored on Pearlin’s (1990) construct of the stress process model. Data were collected from 208 families of elderly individuals in nursing facilities, and the construct validity and reliability of the preliminary scale were verified.Results: We developed a questionnaire consisting of a four-point Likert-type scale in a self-report form with 30 items divided into 4 factors. The factors were named 'Social burden', 'Economic burden', 'Psychological burden', and 'Physical burden'. The Cronbach’s ⍺ of the total items was .94, and the factors ranged from .65 to .87.Conclusion: The study results will help evaluate the level of caregiving burden for families of the elderly in nursing facilities. Therefore, it is expected to be used in future research on nursing interventions aimed at improving the understanding of caregiving burden and reducing the caregiving burden of elderly family members in nursing facilities.