RESUMO
Given today's rapidly ageing society, family members providing informal care to dependent older adults face ever-increasing challenges. The aim of this study was to describe the affective impact on older adults over 70 years of age caring for a dependent older person at home. A qualitative study was designed from a phenomenological perspective. Thirteen in-depth interviews were conducted with caregivers aged 70 or older. A content analysis of the interviews was carried out in five stages. Three themes were identified: "Emotions", "Feelings", and "Looking to the future". Caregivers express negative emotions (sadness, anger, and fear) and feelings of social and emotional isolation, and they feel abandoned by health professionals, family, and friends. In conclusion, prolonged caregiving by older adults has a negative affective impact and creates uncertainty about the future. There is a need to devise social and healthcare policies and actions, creating social support networks to improve their health and emotional wellbeing.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Gender influences the provision of family caregiving, identifying inequalities in the distribution of care-related tasks. The aim of this study was to analyze the gender influence in family caregiving, provided by elderly while, identifying the sociodemographic characteristics of caregivers. METHODS: Mixed, descriptive and phenomenological study was made. Eight women and five men aged seventy and over participated who cared for dependent people at home, selected by intentional sampling in Valencia. The analysis of the in-depth interviews was carried out in three stages: reading to the participants of the transcripts for their verification; discrimination of units of meaning; eidetic and phenomenological reduction to obtain the statements of meaning. Frequencies and percentages were calculated. RESULTS: The mean age, educational level and years dedicated to care were higher in caregivers. Caregivers had a greater burden related to caregiving. Three categories influenced by androcentric culture were idenfied: vital perspective; reasons that support care; coping strategies. 90% of female caregivers cared out of moral obligation, compassion, reciprocity, and love; and 80% of male caregivers by responsibility and reciprocity, obtaining a satisfactory achievement and learning. Both developed resilience skills, reaching higher levels of adaptation. Male caregivers used more protective coping mechanisms and 50% of female caregivers obtained the most comforting support from religion. CONCLUSIONS: Gender determines the meaning given to the experience of caring. The reasons and coping strategies in men and women are different.
OBJETIVO: El género influye en la prestación de cuidados familiares, identificándose desigualdades en la distribución de tareas relacionadas con el cuidado. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la influencia del género en los cuidados familiares, identificando las características sociodemográficas de los/as cuidadores/as. METODOS: Se realizó un estudio mixto, descriptivo y fenomenológico. Participaron ocho mujeres y cinco hombres de setenta y más años que cuidaban en el domicilio a personas dependientes, seleccionadas por muestreo intencional en Valencia. El análisis de las entrevistas en profundidad se realizó en tres etapas: lectura a los/las participantes de las transcripciones para su comprobación; discriminación de unidades de significado; reducción eidética y fenomenológica para obtener las declaraciones de significado. Se calcularon frecuencias y porcentajes. RESULTADOS: La edad media, el nivel de estudios y los años dedicados al cuidado fue mayor en los cuidadores. Las cuidadoras tenían una mayor carga relacionada con los cuidados. Se idenficaron tres categorías influenciadas por la cultura androcéntrica: perspectiva vital; motivos que sustentan el cuidado; estrategias de afrontamiento. Un 90 % de las cuidadoras lo hacían por obligación moral, compasión, reciprocidad y amor; y un 80 % de los cuidadores por responsabilidad y reciprocidad, obteniendo un logro y un aprendizaje satisfactorio. Ambos desarrollaron habilidades de resiliencia, alcanzando mayores niveles de adaptación. Los cuidadores utilizaron más mecanismos protectores de afrontamiento y un 50% de las cuidadoras obtuvieron en la religión el apoyo que más les reconfortaba. CONCLUSIONES: El género determina el significado que se otorga a la experiencia de cuidar. Los motivos y las estrategias de afrontamiento en hombres y mujeres son distintos.