Abstract
ObjectiveNon-professional care provided in domestic settings by a family member or someone from the close environment and without a connection to a professional care service, is increasingly assumed by older people, mainly the spouses of those requiring care. The aim of this study was to describe the experience of older people providing care at home to older dependents.MethodsA qualitative study was carried out to describe and explore the experience of older people, caregivers of dependent older people in the home.ResultsFour themes emerged as a result of the analysis: interpersonal relationships established in the caregivers’ immediate environment; the need and request for public and private resources; consequences of providing care during old age; and adaptation to the circumstance of being a caregiver during old age. Older people who provide home-based care, experience their situation as stressful, feel that it limits their daily life, deprives them of their freedom, and affects their interpersonal relationships and social activities.DiscussionOlder caregivers learn quickly and can manage the skills issues. The volume of work is their challenge. Interpersonal relationships are altered depending on the length of time spent together and the demand for care. Public services and benefits are not adapted to the demands of caregivers or dependent persons.
Highlights
The unprecedented worldwide phenomenon of population aging has been increasing over the past few decades
Global population aging is accompanied by the phenomenon of ‘old age aging’; in other words, an increase in the number of people aged 80 or over, with estimates suggesting that by 2050, the size of this sub-group will triple relative to 2017 [2]
Because of the influence of social, cultural, and economic factors, this higher life expectancy usually translates into an increase in the time older people spend living in conditions of fragility or dependence, which leads to an increase in the need for long-term care [3]
Summary
The unprecedented worldwide phenomenon of population aging has been increasing over the past few decades This is the inevitable result of the decrease in birth rates and a progressive increase in life expectancy [1]. The forecast for the number of people in need of care between 2007 and 2060 shows an increase of 115% in the European Union, and in countries such as China [4]. Since the implementation of the LAAD, a traditional family policy has been restructured and it is emerging in a new context of economic crisis. This means aid is not being granted and dependent persons continue to depend on state health services, which are unable to cover all their needs. Families acquire a new legal obligation to take responsibility and care for their dependents [13]
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