Sobrecarga e mecanismos de coping nos cuidadores informais de idosos dependentes
Data
2019-10-04
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Resumo
Na sociedade portuguesa tem havido um conjunto de alterações reveladoras de uma forte dinâmica de mudanças sociais, em que a estrutura populacional portuguesa é definida por um aumento crescente do número de idosos e por alterações percetíveis nas relações dos idosos com o seu seio familiar. O objetivo principal do estudo foi verificar se existe relação entre a sobrecarga e os mecanismos de coping utilizados pelos cuidadores informais de idosos dependentes, constituindo-se que a gestão das dificuldades e os mecanismos de coping são aspetos fundamentais para a promoção da saúde dos cuidadores e logicamente para a melhoria da prestação de cuidados aos seus idosos dependentes. Perante a relevância social e económica de que se reveste o cuidado prestado pelos cuidadores informais dos idosos, estes necessitam de ser alvo de atenção por parte das autoridades políticas e da saúde, de forma a proporcionar qualidade de vida não só ao idoso mas também a quem dele cuida. Por essa razão é urgente cuidar de quem cuida. A população-alvo deste estudo foi constituída por cuidadores informais, envolvendo todos os lares do concelho de Vila Real com a valência de Centro de Dia. Os instrumentos a utilizar foram o Índice de Barthel, o Índice de Avaliação das Dificuldades do Cuidador Informal, o Questionário relativo à avaliação da sobrecarga do cuidador informal, o Índice para avaliação das maneiras como o prestador de cuidados enfrenta as dificuldades e o Questionário sociodemográfico. Como principais resultados salienta-se que a grande maioria dos prestadores de cuidados desta amostra são do género feminino, casadas e filhas, com uma média de idade de 53 anos. Os prestadores de cuidados manifestam mais dificuldades nas implicações na vida pessoal, reações às exigências, sobrecarga emocional. Relativamente aos mecanismos de coping utilizados pelos cuidadores verifica-se que 58,8% dos cuidadores têm algum conhecimento da perceção de eficácia dos mecanismos de coping. Comprovamos que os prestadores de cuidados de idosos dependentes apresentam uma maior sobrecarga, sentem mais dificuldades e têm alguma perceção de eficácia dos mecanismos de coping.
In Portuguese society there have been a number of changes revealing a strong dynamic of social changes, in which the Portuguese population structure is defined by a growing increase in the number of elderly people and by noticeable changes in the relationships between the elderly and their families. The main objective of the study was to verify whether there is a relationship between the overload and the coping mechanisms used by informal caregivers of dependent elderly people, since the management of difficulties and coping mechanisms are fundamental aspects for the health promotion of caregivers and, logically, for the improvement of the care provision to their dependent elderly. Given the social and economic relevance of the care provided by the informal caregivers of the elderly, they need attention from the political and health authorities in order to provide quality of life not only to the elderly, but also to their caregivers. For this reason, there is an urgent need to take care of the caregiver. The target population of this study consisted of informal caregivers, involving all households in the municipality of Vila Real with the value of a Day Centre. The instruments to be used were the Barthel Index, the Informal Caregiver Difficulties Assessment Index, the Questionnaire on the assessment of the burden of the informal caregiver, the Index for the assessment of the ways in which the caregiver faces the difficulties and the Sociodemographic Questionnaire. The main results were that the vast majority of the caregivers in this sample were female, married and daughters, with an average age of 53 years. Caregivers show more difficulties in the implications for personal life, reactions to demands, and emotional overload. Regarding the coping mechanisms used by caregivers, 58.8% of caregivers had some knowledge of the perception of the effectiveness of coping mechanisms. We found that caregivers of dependent elderly people are more overloaded, have more difficulties and have some perception of the effectiveness of coping mechanisms.
In Portuguese society there have been a number of changes revealing a strong dynamic of social changes, in which the Portuguese population structure is defined by a growing increase in the number of elderly people and by noticeable changes in the relationships between the elderly and their families. The main objective of the study was to verify whether there is a relationship between the overload and the coping mechanisms used by informal caregivers of dependent elderly people, since the management of difficulties and coping mechanisms are fundamental aspects for the health promotion of caregivers and, logically, for the improvement of the care provision to their dependent elderly. Given the social and economic relevance of the care provided by the informal caregivers of the elderly, they need attention from the political and health authorities in order to provide quality of life not only to the elderly, but also to their caregivers. For this reason, there is an urgent need to take care of the caregiver. The target population of this study consisted of informal caregivers, involving all households in the municipality of Vila Real with the value of a Day Centre. The instruments to be used were the Barthel Index, the Informal Caregiver Difficulties Assessment Index, the Questionnaire on the assessment of the burden of the informal caregiver, the Index for the assessment of the ways in which the caregiver faces the difficulties and the Sociodemographic Questionnaire. The main results were that the vast majority of the caregivers in this sample were female, married and daughters, with an average age of 53 years. Caregivers show more difficulties in the implications for personal life, reactions to demands, and emotional overload. Regarding the coping mechanisms used by caregivers, 58.8% of caregivers had some knowledge of the perception of the effectiveness of coping mechanisms. We found that caregivers of dependent elderly people are more overloaded, have more difficulties and have some perception of the effectiveness of coping mechanisms.
Descrição
Dissertação de Mestrado em Gerontologia: Atividade Física e Saúde no Idoso
Palavras-chave
Cuidador informal , Sobrecarga