Abstract

AGUILERA FLOREZ, Ana Isabel et al. Analysis of the profile and the caregiver burden of patients in peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis. Enferm Nefrol [online]. 2016, vol.19, n.4, pp.359-365. ISSN 2255-3517.

Chronic patients with some degree of disability receive the majority of care in the family environment. Patients on a dialysis program often become more fragile and functionally more dependent, requiring more physical efforts from the family, causing a caregiver burden. The objective was to analyze the caregiver profile of the dependent patients on dialysis and to compare the degree of caregiver burden of patient in peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis. Observational, cross-sectional and descriptive study. Twenty-six dependent patients in the dialysis program and their caregivers, who agreed to participate, were included. Barthel's index was used to assess the degree of dependence and Zarit's questionnaire to measure caregiver burden. The variables studied were: age,sex (patient and caregiver), time on dialysis and renal replacement therapy, Charlson' comorbidity index. Seventy-three percent of caregivers are women with a mean age of 54 years. There are no significant differences between the degree of caregiver burden of patients in peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD). The increase in burden and the level of dependence are correlated, although insignificant (p = 0.051) and positive; the caregiver burden is explained in 10.8% by the degree of dependence. The caregiver profile is mostly female (70%) and middle age, the level of burden is low and there are no differences between the caregivers of patients in PD versus HD. The degree of burden increases slightly when the degree of dependence increases.

Keywords : hemodialysis; peritoneal dialysis; dependence; caregiver; caregiver burden.

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