RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Caring role, especially in chronic diseases, has a negative impact on the health of family caregivers and can affect their quality of life. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the care burden and quality of life in family caregivers of hemodialysis patients and their relationship with some characteristics of caregivers and patients. METHODS: This study was conducted as a descriptive-analytic study in Isfahan from January to February 2017. Sampling was done using census. The number of participants was 254. The data gathering tools consisted of a three-part questionnaire including demographic characteristics, the Zarit questionnaire for caring burden, and SF-36 quality of life questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient test, Spearman's coefficient, ANOVA, and univariate general linear regression. A significant level of 5% was considered. RESULTS: The mean scores of the quality of life and caring burden were 30.54±9.89 and 44.98±6.82, respectively in caregivers. The age of the patient under care (P<0.001), cost of medications (P=0.008), and hours of care in 24 hours (P<0.001) had a significant relationship with care givers' quality of life. Also, univariate general linear regression revealed that care burden had a significant relationship with the quality of life (P=0.003). CONCLUSION: Family caregivers who experienced more caring burden had a low quality of life. The researchers suggest that supportive and educational programs should be designed and implemented for this group of patients and their caregivers.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Family burden is defined as the problems, concerns, and unpleasant events affecting the patients undergoing coronary arteries' surgery, and is associated with these patients physical and psychological improvement. Nurses are in a good position to provide appropriate intervention. This study aimed to investigate the effect of family-focused nursing interventions on the burden of the family members of the patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a clinical trial conducted on 50 family members of the patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery in Isfahan Shahid Chamran hospital. Caregivers were selected by convenient sampling and were randomly assigned to two groups of study and control. Caregivers in the study group attended a three-interventional session program during their hospitalization time, while the subjects in control group did not. Data collection tool was Novak and Guest caring burden inventory (CBI). Data were analyzed by SPSS. RESULTS: Means and SDs of caring burden before and after the intervention were 30.08 (14.03) and 19.2 (10) in the study group, respectively, and 30.16 (12.62) and 35.44 (10.42) in the control group, respectively. Changes of total scores of caring burden showed a significant difference after the intervention in the study and control groups (P < 0.001). Score changes of subscales of time dependence (P < 0.001), developmental (P < 0.001), physical (P < 0.001), and emotional caring burden (P = 0.007) were also significant. CONCLUSIONS: Results showed that family-focused nursing interventions were effective in reducing the family burden of the patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery. Nurses can administrate family-focused nursing interventions to reduce the caregiver burden.
