Care tasks and impact of caring in primary family caregivers: A cross-sectional study from a nursing perspective.

BACKGROUND: Family caregivers of persons with dementia often experience a negative impact on their health. More studies based on nursing theories are needed to improve the provision of care. AIMS: To describe the care provided by family caregivers of persons with dementia and the impact on their health, as well as to analyse how personal variables of caregivers are related to care tasks and their health impact. METHODS: Multi-centric cross-sectional prospective study conducted on a sample of 423 primary family caregivers of persons with dementia from Spain. Data were collected through ICUB97-R questionnaire (January-April 2019), based on the fourteen needs of Virginia Henderson's Nursing Model. Data was analysed through one-way analysis of variance and Student's t-test. RESULTS: The caregiver profile was a middle-aged married woman without higher education living with the cared person, predominantly her mother. The most frequently provided care corresponded to "nutrition" and "movement" needs. Lack of free time, modifications on leisure activities, reduced sleep or rest and disruption of family life emerged as the greatest repercussions on the caregiver's health. The age of the caregiver and time caring showed differences on impact of care and care tasks, respectively. CONCLUSION: The identification of the types of care provided, the health impact of caring and the variables affecting the family caregiver's vulnerability is essential to develop effective individualised nursing care plans, including health education interventions to improve the quality of life of both caregivers and persons cared for.

Gender impact of caring on the health of caregivers of persons with dementia.

BACKGROUND: Dementia is a brain syndrome that affects a growing number of persons worldwide and generates a strong and progressive demand for care from a family caregiver, usually females. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to describe the care provided by family caregivers of persons with dementia as well as the impact on their health and its interrelation with gender. PATIENT INVOLVEMENT: This study was carried out in collaboration with the 13 associations of family caregivers of persons with dementia that are part of a Regional Federation. This partnership worked towards bettering patient care and proposing improvements to the public health system. METHODS: A multi-institutional cross-sectional study. A total of 462 primary family caregivers of persons with dementia from north-west Spain were included. Data were collected between January and April 2019 with an anonymous self-administered validated questionnaire (ICUB-97) based on Virginia Henderson's nursing care model. RESULTS: The most affected needs in family caregivers are those related to "recreational activities", "communication" and "rest and sleep". Statistically significant differences between male and female participants' pattern of care and health-related impacts were found, especially in issues related to work and family reconciliation. DISCUSSION: Care plans should be developed taking gender perspective into account. From a nurse model point of view, more research is necessary to reduce health disparities. This study provides an assessment of gender differences in care and the impact on caregivers' health. PRACTICAL VALUE: Regarding the specific health conditions of female caregivers and from a holistic point of view, these findings could provide novel and interesting data that might help to implement gender perspective in nursing care plans, generally invisible in routine clinical practice.