Caregiver burden of the diabetic foot patients caregivers: A hospital example

Introduction and Aim of Study: Diabetes Mellitus has an impact on people daily live quality and has got attention in recent years Today, development in treatment methods, increase in treatment effect and technological developments make hospitalization times shorter. This situation increase the people who need home care and the need of people who give unprofessionally caregiving. In this study, it is aimed to identify the factors that affect caregiver burden and also the factors effect of the caregiving situation. our secondary aim was to raise the awareness of patients with diabetic foot infections and their caregiver's burden. this may help to find out their need of biopsychosocial support. Material and Methods: 42 caregivers and also 42 patients who received treatment in the Chronic Wound Care and Infections Unit at Adnan Menderes University Research and Training Hospital between 01.06.2017-31.08.2017 with diabetic foot infection diagnosis were included in this prospective and cross-sectional analytical research study. The questionnaire used in the study consisted of two parts. The first part of the questionnaire covered socio-demographic characteristics of the participants and questions investigating various factors that may be related to caregiver's burden. In the second part, which was only for the caregivers, Zaritt Caregivers Burden (ZBI) for to evaluate the state of burden was used. All of the questionnaires were conducted by the researcher face-to-face. The data gathered from the participants were analyzed through a program for statistical analysis, SPSS 21.0. Results: The results showed that 34 of caregivers have burden on Zaritt's scale. Caregivers' levels of burden increased with monthly caregiving days, caregivers low income and patients year of the diabetes history. Furthermore caregiver's monthly length of time increased, individuals experienced more burden. Socio-demographic characteristics such as the caregivers' habits of smoking and drinking alcohol, prior experience of caregiving, the presence of other family members in need of nursing at home either have very limited or no impact at all on burden. Also, factors such as the fact that caregivers' educational background, marital status, relationship with the patient and lack of other individuals who might provide care for the patient nearly no effect on burden. Conclusion: In the present study, it was revealed that the caregivers' income and the monthly caregiving day influence on burden. Also, history of the diabetes has an influence on caregivers' burden, but those factors are not related with each other. Therefore, both training and intervention programs regarding risk factors and also arranging programs to prevent caregivers' burden may be the effective solution.