Does Reality Overcome the Expected? Survey on Informal Caregivers' Profile: A Nurse-Led Study in Times of COVID-19
| Autor: | Maria Adriana Henriques, David de Sousa Loura, Paulo Nogueira, Graça Melo, Idalina Gomes, Isabel Ferraz, Laura Viegas, Andreia Costa |
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| Přispěvatelé: | Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa |
| Rok vydání: | 2022 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health; Volume 19; Issue 18; Pages: 11394 |
| ISSN: | 1660-4601 |
| Popis: | © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The increasing overload of chronic conditions raises challenges for the health system. Informal caregivers have a major role in ensuring the quality of life of the cared-for person, despite the reported lack of working resources which can lead to unmet needs. This article reports on the first part of a nurse-led research project entitled ''Informal caregiver' profiles in Lisbon county: a health community approach.' We aimed to support decision-making by developing an informal caregiver profile to promote tailored interventions. A survey addressing the dyad was developed and submitted to a convenient, network-based, stratified sample of carers aged 18 years or above. More than thirty community partners supported the identification of caregivers. Data were submitted to univariate descriptive analysis. A profile of the cared-for person and the informal caregiver was uncovered by identifying 639 caregivers, of whom the majority lived with the cared-for person. Only four percent planned the transition to a caregiver role, and no more than 10% had access to support programs. Approximately half of the respondents found that COVID-19 negatively impacted their performance in the caregiver role. Developing a local and tailored strategy with collaboration between healthcare professionals, academics, and community partners is key to ensuring that meaningful support is provided to caregivers. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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