Determining the difficultiesthat people who take care of 65 or more year old individuals at home

This is a descriptive study which aims to determine the care burdens and the difficulties that people who take care of 65 or more year old individuals at home face.The sampling of the research is made of the elderly people enrolled in Semerkant Family Health Center of Bolu Local Health Authority (n:69) and their informal handlers(n:69). The data is collected using the face to face interview technique in August? November 2007, and percentage, average, standart deviation are analysed by the determining statistical tests such as X2.The average age of caretakers is calculated as 53.4±14.7 years (19-82) ages; and it is determined that more than half of the caretakers (63%) are in the 35- 64 age group; 26.5% of them is above the age of 65, most of the caretakers (83.7%) are women and married (87.8 %), and they are only literate or primary school graduate (57.1%), they are either housewives (65.3%) or retired (26.5%); they are unemployed now (85.7%) and they live with their families (71.4%); and the care of the elderly person is taken by his/her spouse (38.8%), his/her daughter (24.5%) and his / her daughter in law (20.4%). While the care burden of approximately half of the caretakers (50.8%) is confirmed ?mild?; it is ?medium? for 18.8% and ?heavy? for 1.4%.What the caretakers have difficulty in during the nursing of elderly people are, ?the person talking and interrupting a lot? (41.0%), ?the caretaker being old and having difficulty? (28.2%), ?the caretaker feeling exhausted? (20.3%). More than three-fourth of the caretakers (87.0%) are determined to be giving primary care, which means that they look after the elderly by themselves.Most of the people who look after old people (63.3%) say that this process affects their life; more than half of them (69.4%) have an illness, they use anxiety drugs (22.4%), most of the caretakers (89.9%) report that the best care for old people can be provided at home; because they are like children and they should be well-treated (11.6%), and that the young people will also grow old and they should look after the old people (10.1%) are the conclusions that are drawn.In this issue, it is suggested that the nurses should organise education and information meetings on the geriatric and taking care of old people to develop the social consciousness; the people who give care should be sensitive about their burdens, and alternative care centers such as day care centers and nursing homes should be opened in order to release the burden.Key words: Elderly care, Women, Primary caregivers, Burden interview, Nursing.Determining The Difficulties That People Who Take Care Of 65 Or More Year Old Individuals At HomeABSTRACTThis is a descriptive study which aims to determine the care burdens and the difficulties that people who take care of 65 or more year old individuals at home face.The sampling of the research is made of the elderly people enrolled in Semerkant Family Health Center of Bolu Local Health Authority (n:69) and their informal handlers(n:69). The data is collected using the face to face interview technique in August? November 2007, and percentage, average, standart deviation are analysed by the determining statistical tests such as X2.The average age of caretakers is calculated as 53.4±14.7 years (19-82) ages; and it is determined that more than half of the caretakers (63%) are in the 35- 64 age group; 26.5% of them is above the age of 65, most of the caretakers (83.7%) are women and married (87.8 %), and they are only literate or primary school graduate (57.1%), they are either housewives (65.3%) or retired (26.5%); they are unemployed now (85.7%) and they live with their families (71.4%); and the care of the elderly person is taken by his/her spouse (38.8%), his/her daughter (24.5%) and his / her daughter in law (20.4%). While the care burden of approximately half of the caretakers (50.8%) is confirmed ?mild?; it is ?medium? for 18.8% and ?heavy? for 1.4%.What the caretakers have difficulty in during the nursing of elderly people are, ?the person talking and interrupting a lot? (41.0%), ?the caretaker being old and having difficulty? (28.2%), ?the caretaker feeling exhausted? (20.3%). More than three-fourth of the caretakers (87.0%) are determined to be giving primary care, which means that they look after the elderly by themselves.Most of the people who look after old people (63.3%) say that this process affects their life; more than half of them (69.4%) have an illness, they use anxiety drugs (22.4%), most of the caretakers (89.9%) report that the best care for old people can be provided at home; because they are like children and they should be well-treated (11.6%), and that the young people will also grow old and they should look after the old people (10.1%) are the conclusions that are drawn.In this issue, it is suggested that the nurses should organise education and information meetings on the geriatric and taking care of old people to develop the social consciousness; the people who give care should be sensitive about their burdens, and alternative care centers such as day care centers and nursing homes should be opened in order to release the burden.Key words: Elderly care, Women, Primary caregivers, Burden interview, Nursing.