Sobrecarga del cuidador principal de pacientes en cuidados paliativos

Abstract

In illness processes, chronicity and dependence represent major concerns in most developed countries. Care for these sick people involves changing functions; make decisions in the midst of difficult choices, assuming responsibilities or tasks and actions of physical, social, psychological and religious palliative care to meet changing needs of the care person. To assume the role of caregiver is not harmless. Caregivers can develop a phenomenon of burden by the assumed task. The stated goal was to assess the level of overhead primary caregiver in palliative care patients assisted at a university hospital, using the "Zarit Scale caregiver burden" (SZ). Prospective study (March / May 2015) by psychometric assessment through ZS self-administration. Outcomes: n54. Family caregivers 70% women, mean age 48 years old, 52% cohabitants.67 % burden to range between 47-80 points, values "no burden" (≤46) "mild burden" (47-55) "greater burden" (≥56). Distributed as: 43% intense burden; 24% mild burden and 33% no burden. Having validated tools, such as the ZS, becomes important allowing caregiver burden assessment. The ZS in our local population has been feasible to be implemented without barriers in its implementation, report and similarity of results to other Latin studies. We tried to identify this population with unmet needs and contribute to the critical review of the care that drives the RAICES network