Influencing Factors on Care Burden in the Family Caregivers for Elders with Dementia: Focusing on Family Caregivers using a Regional Health Centers for Dementia

Abstract

Purpose: This study was done to identify factors affecting care burden in the family caregivers of elders with dementia. Methods: The participants were 78 family caregivers who were taking care of the elders registered at three regional health centers for dementia located in K-province. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire from January 2017 to October 2018 and analyzed with independent t-test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression in PASW 20.0. Results: The care burden of family caregivers was 51.0±17.9 (converted to 35.2/100), which was below moderate level, and the family caregivers’ emotional attitude toward dementia was significantly negatively correlated with care burden (r=-.55, p=.001). The influencing factors on care burden in the family caregivers for elders with dementia are the emotional attitude toward dementia (β=-.53, p=.009) appeared to be significant explanatory variable, and this model’s explanatory power was 31% (F=1.56 p=.017). In other words, the higher the emotional attitude score, the lower the care burden in the family caregivers of elders with dementia. Conclusion: We recommended that the dementia’s intervention program for family caregivers should include contents that can improve the emotional attitude toward dementia.