Pressure Injury Prevention Knowledge Among Family Caregivers of Patients Needing Home Care

Abstract

One of the complications that patients in need of home healthcare might experience is pressure injury. Given that a significant part of the care of these patients is performed by their family caregivers, they must have sufficient knowledge about prevention and treatment of pressure injuries. We investigated the knowledge related to pressure injuries among family caregivers of patients needing home care who were at risk of pressure injury. Family caregivers of patients in Iran who needed home care services and were at risk of developing pressure injuries based on the Braden scale were invited to participate. A special questionnaire designed by Arboledas and Pancorbo-Hidalgo was used to assess the caregivers' level of knowledge. This questionnaire consists of 23 items, and with total scores between 23 and 46. A higher score indicates a higher level of knowledge about pressure injuries. A total of 323 family caregivers participated, most of whom were female. The mean total score of caregivers' knowledge about pressure injuries was 34.5 ± 3.4 (ranging 23 to 42). Most of the participants (n = 290) stated they did not receive adequate education related to pressure injuries. Among the demographic variables, a significant relationship was observed between the level of caregivers' knowledge with the level of education, younger age, offspring, admission in intensive care units, and male sex (p < 0.005). Family caregivers did not have sufficient knowledge about pressure injuries. Most of them did not receive the necessary education during the time of their patient's hospitalization. This issue should be considered by healthcare providers, and the necessary interventions should be considered to improve the situation.

The Role of Family Caregivers in Pressure Injury Prevention Guidelines: A Scoping Review

“…At home, the task of caring for patients is primarily the responsibility of family caregivers ( García-Sánchez et al, 2019;Jafari et al, 2021). Caring for pressure injuries is complex and requires special skills and knowledge on the part of family caregivers (Rodrigues et al, 2015).…”

“…It should be noted that pressure injury is one of the costliest problems for healthcare systems (Dreyfus et al, Padula & Delarmente, 2019). Pressure injuries can occur during hospitalization, but also after discharge to home, becoming a serious challenge for the patient and their family caregivers (Bergquist-Beringer & Daley, 2011; Jafari et al, 2021). The risk of pressure injury for patients with chronic health conditions is high.…”

A systematic review of caregivers' knowledge and related factors towards pressure ulcer prevention

“…As mentioned in Table 1, 927 caregivers participated in eight studies 14,18,22‐27 . The average age of the participants was 40.50 (SD = 12.67).…”

“…As shown in Table 1, factors such as level of education, 22,23,25 age, 18,23 occupation, 23 informed about PUs, 14 attitude, 27 and practice 27 have a significant positive relationship with caregivers' knowledge related to the prevention of PUs. Knowledge had a significant negative relationship with age 22,24 .…”

“…As shown in Table 1, factors such as level of education, 22,23,25 age, 18,23 occupation, 23 informed about PUs, 14 attitude, 27 and practice 27 have a significant positive relationship with caregivers' knowledge related to the prevention of PUs. Knowledge had a significant negative relationship with age 22,24 . In addition, the factors of marital status, 18,23,25 type of relationship, 22,23,27 age, 27 gender, 23 occupation, 18 level of education, 27 and inpatient wards 22 had a significant relationship with caregivers' knowledge regarding PUs prevention.…”