lIFE QUALITY OF CAREGIVERS WHO ARE RELATIVES OF PATIENTS WITH TERMINAL DISEASES, PARTICIPATING IN A HOME-PALLIATIVE CARE PROGRAM
Abstract: Introduction: Life quality of caregivers of patients in end stage diseases can be seriously affected. Some authors state that spouses of patients with terminal diseases can spend up to 100 hours a week taking care of them; this situation may damage the physical and psychosocial health of t...
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| Formato: | Artículo revista |
| Lenguaje: | Español |
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Escuela de Salud Pública y Ambiente. Fac. Cs. Médicas UNC
2017
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| Acceso en línea: | https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/RSD/article/view/17386 |
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| Sumario: | Abstract: Introduction: Life quality of caregivers of patients in end stage diseases can be seriously affected. Some authors state that spouses of patients with terminal diseases can spend up to 100 hours a week taking care of them; this situation may damage the physical and psychosocial health of the caregiver as well as their spiritual wellbeing. This dimension is extremely important to manage the care of patients with terminal diseases in an integral way. Objective: To analyze the life quality of caregivers, relatives of patients with terminal diseases, under a program of home-palliative care depending from a private hospital in the city of Cordoba in the period December 2015- April 2017. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in caregivers, relatives of patients registered in the Home Care Program, depending from “Hospital Privado” of Cordoba. No probability sampling of 310 patients and their relative caregivers was used. SF-36 was the instrument applied to measure life quality related to health. Exploratory descriptive analysis and multivariate inferential models were used. Results:The identified profile is a woman, over 60 years old, patient’s wife or daughter who, on average, takes care of the patient for a year. Caregivers over 60 are less aware of life quality than caregivers under 60 in the following dimensions: physical role, vitality, pain, general health, physical function and finally in the two essential components of the scale: physical and mental. Conclusion: It can be stated that independently of the disease and the time the patient can be under home care, the age of caregivers (over 60 years old) is and important factor that affects the dimensions of life quality mentioned above. |
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