Abstract
Objective
The aging population is growing rapidly, leading to a rise in chronic diseases and placing significant physical, emotional, and financial strain on caregivers. Managing chronic conditions alongside caregiving responsibilities often results in burnout, adding to the burden on caregivers. This issue also affects society and healthcare systems through increased costs and greater demands for support services. Understanding the factors contributing to caregiver burden is crucial for creating effective interventions to address these challenges. The aim of this study is to describe the extent of caregiver burden and identify some factors related to burden among caregivers of chronically ill elderly people. By gaining insight into these relationships, this study seeks to identify strategies to reduce the burden on caregivers.
Methods
This study utilized a cross-sectional design to examine caregivers of the elderly with chronic diseases receiving treatment in the public healthcare facility. Data collection involved administering structured questionnaires that gathered information on the demographic characteristics of both the elderly and their caregivers, the level of social support received, the functional status of patients as measured by daily activity indices, and the level of caregiver burden. Description was used to elaborate the characteristics of participants. Mann–Whitney, Kruskal–Wallis, and Spearman’s correlation test were applied to explore the relationship between variables. Statistical significance was determined at P value <0.05.
Results
Caregivers of the elderly with chronic diseases had a moderate care burden score (22.62 ± 11.24, CI: 95%). The patients’ level of dependence, relationship with the patients, and time spent as a caregiver were factors related to caregiver burden (P < 0.05).
Conclusions
Those who care for elderly people with chronic diseases suffered great burden. The finding had found a number of factors that influence the caregivers’ weight loss. Healthcare providers should consider these relevant factors when developing intervention plans to reduce caregiver burden.