Premium
Inpatient dependency in activities of daily living predicts informal caregiver strain: A cross‐sectional study
Author(s) -
Pérez Mármol José Manuel,
Flores Antigüedad María Luz,
Castro Sánchez Adelaida María,
Tapia Haro Rosa María,
García Ríos María del Carmen,
Aguilar Ferrándiz María Encarnación
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of clinical nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1365-2702
pISSN - 0962-1067
DOI - 10.1111/jocn.13900
Subject(s) - activities of daily living , caregiver burden , medicine , cross sectional study , cognition , bivariate analysis , quality of life (healthcare) , gerontology , psychology , clinical psychology , physical therapy , nursing , dementia , psychiatry , disease , statistics , mathematics , pathology
Aims and Objectives To investigate what factors influence caregiver strain in informal caregivers just before inpatients are discharged. Background Previous research has investigated the risk factors related to the burden on caregivers in different clinical contexts. However, the findings from studies analysing these factors just before inpatients are discharged are uncertain. Design A cross‐sectional study design. Methods The study involved 100 inpatients and 100 informal caregivers from seven different hospital units. Sociodemographic, clinical, functional and cognitive factors of inpatients–caregivers, and caregiver strains were recorded. Descriptive, bivariate correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed. Results Caregivers of inpatients at risk of ulcers had significantly higher scores of strain. Dependency in activities of daily living scores and cognitive status scores were statistically inversely proportional to caregiver strain. Almost 27% of total variance of caregiver strain was due to dependency in activities of daily living. Conclusions Caregiver strain was mainly associated with those situations in which the hospitalised patients presented the risk of ulcers, dependency and cognitive disorders, with dependency in activities of daily living being the factor that most influenced informal caregiver strain. Relevance to clinical practice Dependency in activities of daily living, among other risk factors, should be evaluated at an early stage, monitored and controlled by hospital nursing staff. These strategies could protect and promote the well‐being and quality of life of informal caregivers during patient hospitalisation and after discharge.