Safety in the Home Care Environment of Families Caring for the Elderly

Abstract

Background: The family is the main provider of care for the elderly, which generates stress, with negative effects on the caregiver’s health. It is necessary to relieve the stress of caregivers for the safety of the caregiver and the dependent family member. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a nursing intervention based on a psychoeducational program for caregivers of elderly family members. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study, with a sample of caregivers (n = 77), distributed between the intervention group (n = 37) and the control group (n = 40). The instruments comprised a questionnaire with the Zarit Burden scales and the Carers Management Assessment Index. The intervention group benefited from the psychoeducational program, and the control maintained the usual care. Results: The intervention group increased coping and decreased the burden compared to the control group. After six months, both groups decreased coping, but it was lower in the intervention group compared to the control group. The intervention group slightly decreased the burden while the control group increased it. Conclusions: The nursing intervention is a procedure that relieves the caregiver’s burden and increases the coping, contributing to reduce the impact of the damage caused by the provided care.