Caregiving burden of family of impaired elderly at home and prevention of breakdown

本研究旨在探讨居家老人照护的正面与负面态度及其相关因素，并考虑更适当的支持系统，以预测及预防居家老人照护的破裂。1997年9月至10月，对日本山形县180位居家老人的主要照顾者进行问卷调查，共收集到111份回覆资料。44.1%的被调查者感到身体负担，74.8%的被调查者表示有心理负担。2)根据Zarit制定的负担感评分，与老年人一侧负担感相关的因素有照顾水平、痴呆综合征、异常综合征、卧床水平和人格改变。在照顾者方面，照顾者的职业(65岁及以上)、每天照看的总时间(超过12小时)、睡眠中断、照顾者的健康状况、照顾者的职业以及与老年人的人际关系与负担感相关。97名照顾者(85.4%)表示他们对照顾者有积极的感受。老年人日常生活活动中对照护的需求程度较高、家庭人际关系良好、亲人对照护不干预是影响照顾感的相关因素。对照顾者有积极感受的照顾者表示更愿意继续照看。

The aims of this research are to examine both positive and negative attitudes of caregiving and factors associated with them and to consider the more adequate support system in order to predict and prevent the breakdown of caregiving to elderly at home.From September to October of the year, 1997, a questionnaire was administered to 180 main caregivers toelderly at home in Yamagata Prefecture in Japan and 111 responses were analyzed.1).84.7% of caregivers expressed the feeling of burden toward caregiving. 44.1% of respondents felt physical burden and 74.8% expressed psychological burden.2).Using the scores of burden developed by Zarit, the factors associated with the feeling of burden on the side of elderly were the level of caregiving, the syndrome of dementia.abnormalmentalsyndrome, the level of bed-ridden and the change of personal character. On the side of caregivers, occupation of caregivers (65 years of age and older), the total time of caregiving per day (more than 12 hours), the interruption of sleep, health conditions of caregivers, occupation of caregivers, and human relations with elderly were associated with the feeling of burden.3).97 caregivers (85.4%) expressed their experience of positive feeling toward caregiving. Factors associated with positive feeling toward caregiving were the high degree of care-needs in everyday activities with reference to the level of ADL of elderly, good human relations in family, and non-intervention to caregiving from relatives and family members. The caregivers who had experienced positive feeling to their caregiving expressed more willingness to continue caregiving.