The Status of Caregiving among Informal Caregivers of Community-dwelling Elderly

Background and Informal caregiver are untrained people who are not paid for providing care services, while in the care system they are considered as the main option. This study was conducted to determine the status of caregiving of informal caregivers and some related factors. This cross-sectional study was performed in 360 people older than 65 years of age who suffered from at least one chronic disease and 194 of their caregivers. The samples were selected through multi-stage random sampling method. The data was collected using questionnaires completed through face to face interviews and then analyzed using X2, T-test, Mannwitney, Gamma, Kruskal-wallis tests and Spearman's rank correlation test. Among the population 53.9% of seniors had the advantage of having a caregiver. These caregivers were 65.5% female. The caregivers in some families bared the burden of responsibilities (5.2%). The mean number of assistance provided to the elderly in daily activities and using tools were 2.17±2 and 8.23± 2.5, respectively. We found a significant correlation between burden of responsibilities of caregivers with assistance provided for daily activities and using tools (P<0.05). The results showed burden of responsibility as an important variable influencing the process of informal care. In other words, factors reducing the burden of caregiver responsibility could play an important role in the quality of services provided.