Sobrecarga en cuidadores primarios familiares del Grupo de Adultos Mayores Historia Viva San Joaquín de Cuenca, periodo 2022 - 2023

Abstract

Caring for a dependent person, and even more so for an older adult, demands attention and time that can generate overload and affect the personal well-being of those who carry out the care practice. Therefore, it is important to identify those signs of overload, for their appropriate management for the well-being of the person being cared for and those they care for due to the consequences that this entails. For this reason, the objective of this research was to describe the levels of caregiver overload syndrome in family members of the Historia Viva San Joaquín group of older adults, in the period 2022-2023. The study had a quantitative approach, with a non- experimental, cross-sectional design and a descriptive scope. The participants were 63 primary family caregivers of older adults. The instruments applied were the sociodemographic sheet, made by the author, and the Zarit Scale, which evaluates the burden experienced by the family member who cares for a dependent person through 3 factors: burden, competence and dependence. The results showed that overload occurred in about half of the population, with the primary family caregiver being a woman whose age ranges between 36 and 44 years, the daughter of the elderly, with secondary education, without an occupation, and who cares for between 1 to 4 years. It is concluded that overload is a latent problem in primary family caregivers due to external and internal demands.