Abstract

Selected Aspects of Sense of Burden in Caregivers of Patients with Dementia Compared with Caregivers of Patients without Dementia

Author(s): Katarzyna Porzych, Anna Polak-Szabela, Martyna Porzych, Kajetan Hadzik, Marcin Porzych, Anna Szalska, Agnieszka Gryckiewicz, Kornelia Kedziora-Kornatowska

Introduction

The aim of the study was to collect information on various aspects of the care burden in the group taking care of patients with dementia and those without dementia, to compare the intensity of care burden in both groups.

Methods

We interviewed a group of care givers of patients with and without dementia, with the Questionnaire of Sense of Burden. Respondents’ age ranged from 19 to 85 years. The study also analysed: gender, kinship of caregiver and patient, professional activity of caregivers, support from other family members, place of residence caregivers and patients, duration of residence with the patient, the amount of time spent with the patient during the day and the duration of the disease

Results

There are important differences between caregivers who deal with patients with dementia and without dementia in the field of general level of burden of care (p<0.001), personal limitations (p=0.001), material and social limitations (p<0.001).

Discussion

Based on the analysis of the means obtained by both groups, it can be assumed that the caregivers of people with dementia experience a greater care burden than the caregivers of people without dementia and the highest burden was related to ‘personal limitations’.