BURDEN, SOCIAL SUPPORT AND SELF-CARE IN INFORMAL CAREGIVERS

Abstract

Objective: Knowing the level of burden, perceived social support, the ability of self-care agency and other factors related, in informal caregiver of dependant patients in the city of Tomé, Chile. Methods: Descriptive study. The systematic stratifed probabilistic sample consisted of 30 informal caregivers to whom four instruments were applied through home visits: bio sociodemographic questionnaire for the principal informal caregiver, Zarit Burden Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support by Zimet and Appraisal of Self-care Agency Scale (ASA). Results: the informal caregivers are adult women, with partners, with incomplete primary education, no work or social participation and insuffcient economic perception, devoting much of their day to care, without assistance from others, with levels of mild overload, poor perception of social support and moderate capacity of self-care. Conclusions: Results emerging from this research can cooperate in the generation of public policies to support this vulnerable group of interest from a social and health standpoint.