Relationship between Caregiving Burden, knowledge and stigma of Caregivers Caring for Older Adults with Alzheimer disease

Abstract

Background: the level of burden is associated with severity of Alzheimer disease, frequency, and \nintensity of care, and absence of help. In many cases, mostly all members of the family become a \nstigma victim and could have feelings of shame about the disease. Aim: the aim of the study was to \nassess relationship between caregiving burden, knowledge and stigma of caregivers caring for older \nadults with Alzheimer disease. Design: the researchers used a descriptive-correlational cross \nsectional design to complete the study. Subjects: A convenience sample of 108 family caregivers of \nthe older adults diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease covered a period of one year (from 1st of May \n2019 till 1st of June Settings: This study was carried out in the general hospital at patient clinic and \nAssociation of Alzheimer Patients at Mansoura city, Dekahlia governorate. Tools: Four tools were \nused to collect the data namely; Demographic and clinical data structure interview schedule sheet, \nThe Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS) and The Stigma \nImpact Scale (SIS): Results: The mean age of caregivers was 44.93 ± 9.135. And more than two- \nthirds of the study sample were females, while the mean age of elderly was (75.32 ± 5.901). And \nabove half of the study subject were male (69.4%). A strong positive correlation was found between \ncaregiver s burden and stigma. Conclusion: A statistical significance relation was found between \nall sociodemographic characteristics of family caregivers and each of caregiving burden, stigma, \nand knowledge. A strong positive correlation was found between caregiver s burden and stigma. \nRecommendations: Educational program for family caregivers not only about the disease processes, \nbut also the way to manage symptoms, experiences, detect resources that could lower the level of \ncaregiving burden, improve their knowledge and reduce sense of stigmatization.