Factors Influencing the Burden Felt by Main Family Caregivers of Elderly Patients with Brain and Spinal Diseases

Purpose: This study of this study was to identify factors influencing the burden of main family caregivers who take care of elderly patients with brain and spinal diseases. Methods: This was conducted as descriptive research and data were collected from 255 main family caregivers who were taking care of elderly patients with brain and spinal diseases from 4 hospitals in Daegu and Gyeongbuk Province. Stepwise-multiple regression was used to identify the influencing factors of burden felt. Results: As the score of burden felt by the main family, economic, social, physical, interdependent and emotional burdens were high in order. Factors influencing burden felt by main family care givers taking care of elderly patients with brain and spinal diseases were changed relation with patient after hospitalization, daily life ability, marital status, education and family caregiver’s personality (explanatory power of 24.6%). Family caregivers felt a heavier burden when their relation with the patient was changed negatively or when the patient’s activity of daily living was low. Conclusion: Based on these results, we need to develop coping measures and interventional programs for reducing the burden felt by the main family caregivers of elderly patients with brain and spinal diseases.

[1]  H. Hey,et al.  Lumbar degenerative spinal deformity: Surgical options of PLIF, TLIF and MI-TLIF , 2010, Indian journal of orthopaedics.

[2]  D. E. Fish,et al.  Lumbar spondylosis: clinical presentation and treatment approaches , 2009, Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine.

[3]  Su-Hyang Bang,et al.  [Activities of daily living of the elderly with a chronic disease and burden on family care-givers]. , 2007, Taehan Kanho Hakhoe chi.

[4]  Jung-Hee Kim,et al.  [Influencing factors that affect the psychological well-being in family caregivers of stroke patients]. , 2005, Taehan Kanho Hakhoe chi.

[5]  S. Cummings,et al.  The Association of Radiographically Detected Vertebral Fractures with Back Pain and Function: A Prospective Study , 1998, Annals of Internal Medicine.

[6]  K. Oh,et al.  A Study of Well-being in Caregivers Caring for Chronically Ill Family Members , 1993 .

[7]  B. Given,et al.  Responses of elderly spouse caregivers. , 1990, Research in nursing & health.

[8]  P. Pallett.  A conceptual framework for studying family caregiver burden in Alzheimer's-type dementia. , 1990, Image--the journal of nursing scholarship.

[9]  P. Drinka,et al.  Correlates of Depression and Burden for Informal Caregivers of Patients in a Geriatrics Referral Clinic , 1987, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[10]  Hyun-Ju Jeong,et al.  A Study on Burden and Well-being of Primary Caregivers of Patients with a Stroke , 2009 .

[11]  Y. Lim,et al.  Elder image, self-efficacy and burden among family caregivers caring for elders with chronic disease , 2008 .

[12]  K. Jin,et al.  A Study on the Pain, Depression, Life Satisfaction of the Chronic Low Back Pain Patients , 2008 .

[13]  임미영,et al.  Supporting stress for eacy type of supporting the aged with dementia - Comparison of the stress by supporters at home and supporters in the nursing home - , 2006 .