THE BURDEN OF CARE IN FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS IN THE COLOMBIAN PACIFIC COAST

Abstract

Objective: To characterize and define the care burden perception of family caregivers of people with chronic illness who reside in the Colombian Pacific. Methods: This is a descriptive cross section study developed in the Municipality of Tumaco, in the Colombian Pacific Region, from August to November of 2012 with a group of 55 family caregivers of people with chronic illness. Results: The family caregivers of chronic ill people are mainly women, in a productive age, 29% are younger than 18 years or older than 60 years, 67% are younger or the same age than care receptor; with a high level of illiteracy; 62% did not finished their primary school; 98% of the caregivers belong to the lowest poverty social level; 57% of the group is devoted to home activities, and 13% are caregivers while they study. They report a high burden with care perception in 71% of the caregivers moderate care burden in 24, 5% and no care burden in 3, 5% of the cases. Conclusions: The results of the study allow understand the hard situation of well-taken care of the people with chronic disease in the Colombian Pacific in where from the characterization of this group, it settles down that the load level is high in an important proportion. An urgent call to the Colombian system of health is made to review mechanisms of support for the people with chronic illness and their family caregivers