Impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the difficulties and burden experienced by family caregivers of older dependent persons

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the difficulties and overload/burden experienced by family caregivers of older dependent people during the COVID-19 outbreak. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted. This work was guided according to the Guideline strengthenin the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (EQUATOR checklist). The study included 65 family caregivers of older people with physical or mental dependence. Caregivers were selected by convenience sampling through a national association of informal caregivers. Participants responded to an online questionnaire, which aimed to assess difficulties and burdens experienced during the pandemic. Ethical principles were followed throughout the research. Findings The participants were mostly women, with an average age of 53 years, teleworking and cohabiting with the dependent elderly. Most caregivers reported that the pandemic has led to an increase in daily difficulties and associated burden. There was a statistically significant increase in hours devoted to care during the pandemic. Also, caregivers reported less time to take care of themselves and greater fatigue during this period. Research limitations/implications This study had some limitations. For example, the small sample size. The sample was collected through an online version, and many caregivers did not have the digital skills needed to complete the questionnaires, and most of them were busy (divided between teleworking and household responsibilities). Another limitation was related to the perceived priority of caregivers because the majority of them considered this was a time-consuming study and saw no immediate benefits. Furthermore, they considered that this study has taken their time to manage all the provision of care to the elder relative and other activities related to their children who were also in quarantine. Finally, to date, there is no sufficient evidence to compare our results with other national and international studies. Further research is needed to allow the scalability of results and to apply the best available knowledge to mitigate the known and potential effects of this pandemic. Practical implications This study highlighted that frontline caregivers suffered a negative impact on their physical and mental health, in addition to a significant economic burden during the pandemic outbreak. More research in this field is needed to plan, train and manage large-scale public health emergencies. Social implications The COVID-19 pandemic imposed physical distancing, which profoundly affected the physical and mental health of community-dwelling older people and their family caregivers. Because of the confinement and closure of some social support institutions, family caregivers found themselves in a complex situation, having to reconcile care and teleworking. Therefore, it is important to identify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the difficulties and burden of these caregivers to implement and develop social and health support measures. Originality/value This paper addresses an increasingly important issue – the burden and difficulties of family caregivers, in the light of a new reality – the Covid-19 pandemic, which has brought new difficulties for this population.

Informal care in times of a public health crisis: Objective burden, subjective burden and quality of life of caregivers in the Netherlands during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…The change in the subjective burden, however, is rather small. This is in line with findings from Austria that there was no change in the objective burden (Rodrigues et al, 2021 ), and with studies from Australia, Portugal, the United States, Argentina, Canada, India, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Germany and the United Kingdom, that report an increase in subjective burden (de Sousa et al, 2022 ; Hofstaetter et al, 2022 ; Lorenz‐Dant & Comas‐Herrera, 2021 ; Truskinovsky et al, 2022 ). Caregivers experienced not only negative effects, but also positive effects of the pandemic, such as the slower pace (Lightfoot et al, 2021 ).…”

“…We contribute to the literature by identifying which characteristics relate to changes in objective and subjective burden during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Prior research shows that during the pandemic informal caregivers experienced changes in responsibilities as well as in mental, physical and financial health (de Sousa et al, 2022 ; Greaney et al, 2020 ; Lorenz‐Dant & Comas‐Herrera, 2021 ). These consequences differed for caregivers with different characteristics.…”

Does Reality Overcome the Expected? Survey on Informal Caregivers’ Profile: A Nurse-Led Study in Times of COVID-19

“…Several studies have called for attention to the particularly negative impact of this pandemic on caregivers. Eurocarers and IRCCS-INRCA identified a significant impact on social relationships, quality of life, and physical or mental health [ 27 ], whereas Sousa et al reported a decrease in caregivers’ time and an increase in fatigue [ 43 ]. An additional burden was also mentioned in this regard, along with the need for support measures to assist carers in facing this problem [ 44 ].…”

Caregiving Situation as a Predictor of Subjective Caregiver Burden: Informal Caregivers of Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…In the last two and a half years, the COVID-19 pandemic has reached almost every part of society and affected people in different ways. It has affected people’s physical and mental health [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ], but it is much more than a health crisis; it is a human, economic, and social crisis that, if not adequately addressed, can lead to an increase in inequality, exclusion, discrimination, and global unemployment [ 6 ].…”