Influência de gênero, idade e renda sobre o bem-estar de idosos cuidadores e não cuidadores

Factors that influence the global quality of life of long-lived older adults (>80 years)

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess global quality of life and the factors associated with it in long-lived older adults registered with family health centers. Global quality of life was measured using the two general questions on the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument. METHODOLOGY: This was a cross-sectional, quantitative study based on secondary data from a sample of 100 older adults. RESULTS: The results of analyses revealed a mean age of 84.20 years, 77% of the sample were female, 46% had spent between 1 and 4 years in education, 63% were widowed, 76% had an income equivalent to one to two times the minimum wage, 77% had systemic arterial hypertension, 34% had diabetes mellitus, 27% had cardiovascular disease, 74% had social support, and 63% exhibited depressive symptomology. The frequency of satisfactory global quality of life in the sample studied was 35%. CONCLUSIONS: In relation to global quality of life, assessed in terms of interviewees’ satisfaction with their lives and health in conjunction, the majority of the study population reported not being satisfied. After completion of all statistical analyses, factors associated with dissatisfaction were social support, depression, and osteoarthritis.

Factors associated with depressive symptoms in elderly caregivers with chronic pain

OBJECTIVE

to identify factors associated with depressive symptoms in elderly caregivers with chronic pain.

METHOD

the study included people 60 years of age or older who reported chronic pain and cared for another elderly person living in the same household (n=186). Statistical analyzes were performed using the Mann-Whitney test, univariate and multiple logistic regression.

RESULTS

most participants had no depressive symptoms (70.4%), 24.2% had mild depressive symptoms and 5.4% had severe symptoms. Univariate analysis showed that the variables family income, number of diseases, number of medications in use, pain intensity, overload and perceived stress were associated with depressive symptoms. Multivariate analysis found an association with perceived stress (95% CI 1.101-1207) and number of medications (95% CI 1.139-1.540) in use.

CONCLUSION

factors associated with depressive symptoms in elderly caregivers with chronic pain were stress and the number of medications in use.

Physical Strength Perception of Older Caregivers in Rural Areas

Background and objective: In an aging population, it is increasingly common for older adults to take care of other older adults. Caregiving tasks may be conditioned by the aging process. This study aims to analyze the perceived physical strength of older caregivers and its impact on the functional capacity to engage in caregiving activities. Methods: A discretionary sampling of caregivers (N = 107), ≥65 years old, in the rural health area of Badajoz (Spain) participated in this cross-sectional study. Measurements included questions about the caregiver’s role (experience, years, hours, difficulties, demands) and their perceived physical strength, ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL), need for help or difficulty for caring. Results: Older caregivers from rural areas perceived a lack of physical strength (71%). These caregivers need more help, have more difficulties, and show less ability to perform ADL. Furthermore, around 80% of the people who had a lack of strength were caring for people with severe or total dependence. There is a direct correlation between the perceived lack of physical strength and the ability to perform basic (r = 0.382, p < 0.01) and instrumental (r = 0.370, p < 0.01) activities. Conclusions: Therefore, the perception of strength and the characteristics of the cared for person may be crucial variables to successfully conduct caregiving tasks.

Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview: Evidências de Validade para a População Brasileira de Cuidadores de Idosos

A Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (ZBI) avalia a sobrecarga de cuidadores de idosos. Porém, ainda carece de evidências de validade para o contexto brasileiro, com cuidadores de idades variadas. Neste estudo, foram verificadas evidências de validade do ZBI –interna e baseadas nas relações com qualidade de vida e depressão–. No Estudo 1, participaram 285 cuidadores de idosos com idades entre 18 e 87 anos, que responderam à ZBI. No Estudo 2, 205 dos cuidadores do Estudo 1 também responderam ao Inventário de Depressão de Beck e à Escala de Qualidade de Vida. No Estudo 1, foram testados três modelos por meio de uma análise fatorial confirmatória e o alfa de Cronbach. No Estudo 2, foram medidascorrelações de escores na ZBI com escores de depressão e qualidade de vida. O modelo de três fatores se mostrou o maisadequado, apresentando bons índices de consistência interna. Foram observadas correlações negativas entre a ZBI e qualidade de vida e positivas com depressão. Portanto, este estudo contribuiu para o processo de validação da ZBI no Brasil, com cuidadores de faixa etária ampla.

The double vulnerability of elderly caregivers: multimorbidity and perceived burden and their associations with frailty

Abstract Objective: To identify if multimorbidity and burden are associated with a greater likelihood of frailty in elderly caregivers of other elderly persons within the family context. Method: 148 elderly caregivers caring for other elderly persons [M=69.7 (±7.0) years old] were recruited using a criterion of convenience in public and private health services in the city of Campinas and surrounding areas. Information was gathered about socio-demographic context, context of care, physical health, care burden using the Zarit Burden Scale, and frailty, measured by subjective evaluation. Four groups of vulnerability were created based on the presence or absence of multimorbidities and high or low burden, in order to verify which group was most strongly associated with frailty. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, measurements of association and multivariate hierarchical logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of multimorbidity was 55.4%. The Zarit Burden Scale presented a median of 23 out of a total of 88 points. Of the sample, 35.1% were frail, 46.0% intermediate, and 18.9% robust. Elderly caregivers with multimorbidity and high burden had a greater probability of frailty (OR=3.6; CI 1.55-8.36), followed by those with multimorbidity and low burden (OR=2.8; CI 1.13-6.79). Conclusion: The sensation of burden among caregivers was reduced; those with double vulnerability were most prevalent among the four groups and had the greatest association with the occurrence of frailty; multimorbidity was associated with frailty. If combined with perceived burden, however, the odds ratios of the elderly caregivers being frail increased.

Satisfaction with family relations and support according to elderly persons caring for elderly relatives

Abstract Objective: The aim of the presentstudy was to investigate the associations between the satisfaction of family caregivers and family relations; sociodemographic variables; the type and direction, sufficiency and burden of family support, and the number of social partners involved. Method: A total of 148 caregivers of elderly relatives who were physically and cognitively dependent were recruited from medical clinics and home care services in cities in the state of São Paulo and invited to respond to a questionnaire about family support, and to a scale of satisfaction with family relationships with reference to adaptation, partnership, growth, affection and resolutive capacity. The chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare frequencies for the scores of the two satisfaction levels (low and intermediate, and high). To analyze the relationship between high levels of satisfaction and other variables, univariate and hierarchical logistic regression analysis was used. Results: High levels of satisfaction were related to the reciprocity and suffiency of received emotional support, and absence of burden associated to giving support. The adequacy of emotional support was most strongly associated with high levels of satisfaction with family relationships. Conclusion: For the satisfaction of caregivers of elderly persons with family functioning, quality of support is better than quantity, reciprocity is more important than unidirectionality and emotional is the most important type of support.

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.

Variables associated with the life satisfaction of elderly caregivers of chronically ill and dependent elderly relatives

Abstract Objective: to compare the life satisfaction of family caregivers, taking into account their gender, age, time since starting care, health, religion, perceived burden and quality of life, and the level of physical and cognitive dependence of the elderly person receiving care, and to investigate the associations between these variables and low life satisfaction. Methods: a total of 148 caregivers in Indaiatuba and Campinas, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, selected using the convenience method, were interviewed at home, in private medical clinics and outpatient units, using questionnaires about the sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions, time since starting care, scales of life satisfaction, religiosity, perceived burden and quality of life of the caregiver, and the physical and mental health of the elderly person receiving care. Descriptive, Multivariate and Univariate Logistic Regression analysis were used. Results: caregivers who exhibited low life satisfaction included more frail individuals, with three or more chronic diseases and depression, greater perceived burden and lower self-fulfillment and pleasure, and control and autonomy, scores, which are factors of the Perceived Quality of Life Scale. Elderly caregivers who scored low in self-fulfillment factor and pleasure (OR=101.29; CI=28.68 - 357.73) and who scored high in perceived burden (OR=5.89, CI=2.13 to 16.24) had a greater chance of having low life satisfaction scores. Conclusions: The assessment of caregivers of their satisfaction with life is more influenced by subjective than objective variables, and low satisfaction seems to be strongly associated with poor quality of life, high burden, and caregiver frailty.

Chronic pain in elderly caregivers at different levels of frailty

Objective

To determine whether there are differences in the intensity of chronic pain of elderly caregivers who are frail, pre-frail and non-frail.

Methods

Quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study. The subjects were 187 elderly caregivers evaluated with a Multidimensional Pain Assessment Scale and the Fried Frailty Phenotype Assessment Components. Descriptive and comparative analyzes, Pearson's chi-square test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used.

Results

24.1% of the caregivers were frail, 55.1% pre-frail and 20.9% non-frail. The only socio-demographic variable that differed between the three groups was age (p=0.03). Mean pain intensity values were as follows: frail elderly (6.98), pre-frail (6.38) and non-frail (5.85). However, these differences were not significant (p=0.150).

Conclusions

The present study did not find a significant difference in the intensity of chronic pain in elderly. Nevertheless, it is essential that health professionals and health care public policies give special attention to older caregivers.