A sobrecarga em cuidadores informais de idosos com demência e déficits funcionais

Abstract

Elderly individuals who present dementia have characteristics that can bring significant consequences to their family’s dynamics, directly interfering in the routine of people who get involved with the care of them. The caregiver is the person responsible for assisting, when necessary, with the activities that the elderly person is no longer able to accomplish by themselves. However, the activities assigned to the caregiver, often without adequate guidance, will have a significant negative impact on the patient´s health and quality of life. Caregivers of elderly individuals who suffer from dementia often show symptoms of stress that comes from the emotional stress, physical fatigue, health problems, limitations to work activities and leisure, family conflicts, uncertainty and insecurity. Throughout the process of exercising this role, careers experience social, emotional, physical and financial losses, being that these scenarios are most likely becoming more significant during the progress of the patient´s illness. This study aims to identify and analyze, through bibliographical review, the factors that are associated with overload informal caregivers of elderly with mild to moderate dementia and functional deficits. The survey was conducted through a survey of publications in scientific literature, restricted to the period of 2002 to 2008, when the works were selected involving caregivers of elderly individuals with dementia. This population should display functional deficits due to the demencial process and the presence of disabilities should have direct impact on the caregiver's health. Ten articles were selected and critically analyzed. The smallest study investigated 18 caregivers and the largest investigated 5.788 caregivers of elderly with dementia. There were variations on the characterization and sample size, the distinction between objectives, types of methodology and measuring instruments utilized, with consequent diversity of results regarding the overhead. All articles involved caregivers of elderly patients with dementia who showed functional deficits and disabilities, having direct impact on the caregiver's health. Most studies focused on the implications of the functional decline of elderly people. It was found that the quality of life and caregiver burden were related to functional capacity were the elderly and the cognitive level or progress of dementia. Care is a task based on social outlook and its performance can make the caregiver feel good, because he manages to do what is expected of him at a certain time in the course of life. However, the complexity of social problems related to the impact that care directly reflected in maintaining the health of the elderly and their permanence within the family. The discussion of the role of caregiver is relevant so the support provided is adequate. The informal caregivers of frail older adults need to be focus of attention of health professionals to help the organization of their routine daily care and in context.