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Overload of the Informal Caregiver in Patients with Chronic Diseases, in a
Primary Health Provider, Monteria - Córdoba, 2023
ABSTRACT
Introduction: During recent years, with the progress of society in all areas, there has been an increase
in life expectancy, and this has been accompanied by a change in the main causes of death and an
increase in the prevalence of certain pathologies (chronic diseases and physical and/or mental
disabilities), which condition a certain degree of dependency, with older adults being the most affected
group of the population. Objectives: Identify the overload of the informal caregiver in patients with
chronic diseases in a primary health provider, Monteria - Córdoba, 2023 - 2. Methodology: Quantitative
study. It had a sample of 120 participants, which corresponds to the significant sample of the total
population. After informed consent, the sociodemographic characteristics and burden of the informal
caregiver of patients with chronic diseases are identified. “Zarit Caregiver Burde Scale (Caregiver
Burde Interview).” The descriptive statistical analysis allowed the data to be represented in frequencies
and percentages. Results: 120 informal caregivers participated: 77% women and 23% men. 69% were
from urban areas, 31% from rural areas. High school education 48.2% or technical/higher education
(32.5%). Marital status: single 36.6%, married 31.8%, common law 26.6%. Housewives 42.5%,
independent workers 27.5%, employees 22.5%. Stratum I (80%), stratum II 20%. Caring for children
(58.3%) Spouse 15%. Hours of care 6-12 hours 52.5%. from 12 – 18 hours 25.8%. At the global level
of overload of the informal caregiver, it is absence of overload with 66%, followed by light overload
with 19%, and 15% of intense overload. Conclusion: The results allowed us to meet the study objectives
and identify a positive evaluation between the core competencies and the overload of the informal
caregiver, which can be interpreted "the greater the core competencies, the lower the level of overload."
These findings show that the informal caregiver and primary health provider has various competencies,
as well as skills to optimally exercise their roles as caregivers and health service providers and therefore
have the ability to face overload situations. The functional dependence of the chronic patient on his
caregiver was developed through the number of hours that the informal caregiver spends caring for him,
where there is a relationship with a functional dependence of 79%.
Keywords: burden, overload, informal caregiver, chronic diseases, functional dependency
Artículo recibido 20 abril 2024
Aceptado para publicación: 25 mayo 2024