Effects of care burden on the life of caregivers of the elderly: A mixed-method study model

Determining the care burden of elderly caregivers in the early period allows for early intervention to protect them from the negative physical, social, and psychological effects of care. This mixed-method study aimed to determine the burden levels of caregivers of elderly individuals and evaluate their opinions on the difficulties they experienced while caregiving. This study was conducted with caregivers of 89 elderly people who were determined to need care by visiting the homes of elderly people aged 65 years and over living in Famagusta. While the KATZ index of independence in activities of daily living and the Zarit Burden Interview tool were used to collect quantitative data, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 28 selected participants to collect qualitative data. The mean age of the caregivers was 52 ± 12 years; they were mostly female spouses/children/relatives, and 29.2% had moderate-to-severe care burden perceptions. The perception of caregiver burden levels increased as the level of dependency of elderly individuals and the duration of caregiving increased. Considering that caregiving burden affects every aspect of caregivers’ lives, it should be assessed regularly. To reduce care burden, it is recommended to expand home care services and short-term care facilities, use health technologies for continuous distance education and counseling in elderly care, and financially support caregivers who cannot work due to the responsibilities of providing elderly care.