Quality of life of caregivers of children with cardiopathy in Cartagena Colombia

Abstract


 Objective. To describe the quality of life of relatives of children with complex congenital cardiopathies in Cartagena, Colombia. 
 Methodology. Descriptive study conducted during the first half of 2008, it included 91 caregivers, users of the cardiology outpatient service from a children´s third level hospital selected through a convenience nonprobability sampling. The instrument proposed by Ferrell et al. was used to measure the quality of life of relatives taking care of the patient. It assesses the quality of life using 37 items that make up its meaning in welfare: physical (5 items), psychological (16 items), spiritual (9items) and social (7 items). The evaluation of each item is made using a 1 to 4 likert scale. The total score and subscale interpretation is an inverse relationship between the score and the deterioration of the caregiver status. 
 Results. The caregiver group presented in the spiritual welfare subscale an average of 23.7 indicating the worst status, followed by the physical and social welfares with averages of 10.5 and 19.2 respectively. The psychological welfare was the best rated (average of 50.5). 
 Conclusion. Caregivers perceive quality of life affected in a greater proportion in the spiritual welfare followed by social and physical welfare. Psychological welfare was the best evaluated. The caregiver experience significantly modifies the perception of quality of life of the people. Caregivers as an important source of informal care require health care system support, and as parts of it of the nursing professionals.