Profile of Home-based Caregivers of Bedridden Patients in North India

BACKGROUND: Caregiving to bedridden patients in India is set to become a major problem in future. OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the profile of caregivers for the adult bedridden patients in Chandigarh, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 purposively selected bedridden people. The Katz Index of the activities of daily living was used to ascertain their degree of disability. Patients and families were interviewed about the patterns of care provision. RESULTS: The mean age of subjects was 69 years. A majority (68%) of them lived in joint families. All of them required assistance in bathing, dressing, toileting, and transfer. In 54% of the cases someone was hired to look after the subjects. A majority of the caregivers (82%) were family members. All caregivers were untrained. In 35% of the cases unqualified practitioners were consulted, while in 59% of the cases government hospitals were consulted. Most patients (78) were given medicines on time. Complications like urinary tract infection (39%) and pressure ulcers (54%) were reported; 57% of the patients reported satisfaction with the care provided. CONCLUSION: The main source of caregivers for the bedridden was the family. Bedridden people had high rates of medical complications. There is a need for formal training for the caregivers.