Qualidade de vida do cuidador familiar e dependência do paciente com alzheimer

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to establish the relation between the quality of life of the family caregiver and the level of dependence of the patient with Alzheimer. It is a co-relational descriptive, cross-sectional study, with a quantitative approach having participation of 192 family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer; they are part of the Cuidado a Cuidadores® (Care for Caregivers) program of the Nursing Faculty of Universidad Nacional de Colombia, the Fundación Acción Familiar Alzheimer Colombia (Alzheimer Colombia Family Action Foundation) and the Asociación Nacional de Alzheimer (Colombian Alzheimer Association). Betty Ferrell´s “Quality of life, the family version” instrument (QOL) was applied. She defines quality of life from the physical, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions. Barthel Index (BI), which measures the patient´s level of functional dependence, was also applied. Caregivers’ general quality of life obtained an average score. Physical and spiritual welfare showed a positive trend, while the psychological and social wellbeing of this population group showed a negative trend with an alteration risk for the future. The Alzheimer patient’s functional dependence level was found from total to severe dependence, with a great commitment in personal care and hygiene activities. The study did not show any statistical correlation between quality of life and the level of dependence of the patient with Alzheimer.

El objetivo del estudio fue establecer la relación entre la calidad de vida del cuidador familiar y el grado de dependencia del paciente con Alzheimer. Es un estudio descriptivo correlacional, de corte transversal, con abordaje cuantitativo. Participaron 192 cuidadores familiares de pacientes con Alzheimer pertenecientes al programa Cuidado a Cuidadores® de la Facultad de Enfermería de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia, la Fundación Acción Familiar Alzheimer Colombia y la Asociación Colombiana de Alzheimer. Se aplicaron el instrumento “Calidad de vida versión familiar” de Betty Ferrell, quien define la calidad de vida desde las dimensiones física, psicológica, social y espiritual, y el Índice de Barthel (IB), que mide el grado de dependencia funcional del paciente. La calidad de vida general de los cuidadores obtuvo una puntuación media. El bienestar físico y espiritual presentó una tendencia positiva, mientras que el bienestar psicológico y social de este grupo poblacional mostró una tendencia negativa con riesgo de alteración a futuro. El grado de dependencia funcional del paciente con Alzheimer se encontró en dependencia total a severa, con mayor compromiso en actividades de aseo y arreglo personal. En el estudio no se encontró correlación estadística entre la calidad de vida y el grado de dependencia del paciente con Alzheimer.

The purpose of the study was to establish the relation between the quality of life of the family caregiver and the level of dependence of the patient with Alzheimer. It is a co-relational descriptive, cross-sectional study, with a quantitative approach having participation of 192 family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer; they are part of the Cuidado a Cuidadores® (Care for Caregivers) program of the Nursing Faculty of Universidad Nacional de Colombia, the Fundación Acción Familiar Alzheimer Colombia (Alzheimer Colombia Family Action Foundation) and the Asociación Nacional de Alzheimer (Colombian Alzheimer Association). Betty Ferrell´s “Quality of life, the family version” instrument (QOL) was applied. She defines quality of life from the physical, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions. Barthel Index (BI), which measures the patient´s level of functional dependence, was also applied. Caregivers’ general quality of life obtained an average score. Physical and spiritual welfare showed a positive trend, while the psychological and social wellbeing of this population group showed a negative trend with an alteration risk for the future. The Alzheimer patient’s functional dependence level was found from total to severe dependence, with a great commitment in personal care and hygiene activities. The study did not show any statistical correlation between quality of life and the level of dependence of the patient with Alzheimer.