Correlação da funcionalidade familiar e sobrecarga de cuidadores informais de idosos hospitalizados

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic noncommunicable diseases often affect older adults, who may experience decompensation and hospitalizations. Given the high prevalence of these diseases and increased longevity, many older people may have functional limitations and need a caregiver. However, family caregivers are not always able to develop the task of caring, which may lead to burden and family dysfunction, variables that can influence the quality of care provided. Therefore, early identification of these aspects is essential for planning interventions to improve the quality of life of these individuals. Aim: to analyze the relationship between family functionality and burden of informal caregivers of hospitalized older people. Methods: this is a cross-sectional study conducted with 98 informal caregivers of hospitalized older people in an inpatient unit of a large hospital in São Carlos, São Paulo. For data collection were used questionnaires to sociodemographic and care context characterization, to evaluate burden and family functionality. Descriptive analyzes and Spearman’s correlation coefficient were used. Results: female caregivers predominated, who took care of their parents and had no training. Approximately 59.8% of caregivers had good family functionality and 49.5% scored for mild to moderate burden. There was a negative correlation, moderate magnitude, between family functionality and burden (p<0,001). The higher the burden score, the lower the family functionality score and vice versa. Conclusion: caregivers with high burden had worse family functionality. Therefore, nurses need to identify such conditions early and implement assertive interventions so that the family functions as a therapeutic resource.