ELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BURDEN OF CARE OF CAREGIVERS AND DEPENDENCE LEVEL OF ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH STROKE

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Older patients with stroke require
long-term care and treatment. So, the present study was aimed to determine the burden of care of caregivers of elderly
patients with stroke and its relationship with the rate of the elderly patients’ dependency.
Material and Methods: A total of 110 caregivers of elderly patients with stroke participated in this descriptive and
cross-sectional study. The samples were selected purposefully among the elderly patients hospitalized in Valiasr
hospital in Zanjan for 6 months before the study. Zarit burden questionnaire and Barthel index of activities of daily
living were used for collecting data. Questionnaires were completed by the caregivers. Then, the data were analyzed
using Pearson, Spearman, independent t-test and ANOVA by SPSS 23 software.
Results: Based on the results of this study, the mean age of caregivers was 32.09 ± 8.70 years and the majority of
them were women (n=77, 70%). Most of the elderly patients had mild to moderate dependency (n= 74, 67.3%). About
90 percent of the caregivers were under mild to moderate burn out. The results also showed a positive and significant
relationship between caregivers’ burnout and level of dependency of the elderly patients (p < o.oo1).
Conclusion: According to the results of this study, increasing the level of dependency and care needs of the elderly
patients resulted in increase in the caregivers’ burnout. So, it is necessary to empower the caregivers by social support
and consulting method for reduction in their burnout