Care ability and caregiver strain of family caregivers of people with cancer Habilidad de cuidado y sobrecarga en cuidadores familiares de personas con cáncer

Abstract

The dedication to the caregiver role of a family caregiver to a person with cancer can lead to strain and requires knowledge and capabilities in order to offer sufficient care. Objective. Describe the characteristics of family caregivers of people with cancer, their care ability and the strain of the caregiver. Materials and method. A descriptive, quantitative, cross-sectional study, conducted in the second semester of 2014. 95 family caregivers voluntarily participated in the study, through an informed consent process. Results. The participants were mainly women, with primary and secondary education, from the urban zones of Bogotá and Cundinamarca. The participants showed a marked trend towards marriage, dedication to the home and from social stratums 1, 2 and 3. They are the sole caregivers and have a high level of dedication to care on a daily and monthly basis. 52.7% showed caregiver strain and 66.3% had insufficient levels of care ability. Conclusions. Assessing the level of care ability of the caregiver and caregiver strain are fundamental in order to develop interventions among caregivers. Interventions are required to strengthen the ability and reduce strain of caregivers.