Sociodemographic and health characteristics of formal and informal caregivers of elderly people with Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

Abstract Objective: to evaluate and compare the sociodemographic characteristics, depressive symptoms, anxiety and perceived stress of formal and informal caregivers of elderly people with Alzheimer's disease. Method: Quantitative, cross-sectional and comparative study with 44 caregivers that were divided into two groups of 26 informal caregivers (IC) and 18 formal caregivers (FC). The Instrument for Characterization of the Caregiver, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were applied. Results: Of those IC, the majority were women (96.2%), mean age of 52.9 years, majority represented by sons (daughters) (65.4%). They presented, on average, depressive symptoms (10.1%), anxiety symptoms (11.5%) and scored 32.1 in the PSS. The FC group, the majority were women (94.4%), mean age of 45.2 years were not related to the elderly people (66.7%). They presented, on average, depressive symptoms (7.1%), anxiety symptoms (6.4%) and scored 31.7 in the PSS. Conclusion: Similarities were shown in the sociodemographic aspects, but the groups differ in the health profile, revealing an alert for the planning of interventions looking for health promotion and disease prevention. Implications for practice: The study contributes to the improvement of the caregivers´ quality of life.

Keywords

• Doença de Alzheimer
• Cuidadores
• Depressão
• Ansiedade