Examination of the caregiving burden and related factors in caregivers of patients receiving home care services

Aim: To determine the levels of care burden among individuals providing home health care to patients and to examine the factors associated with care burden, including individual, patient-related, and care process factors. Methods: This study is a descriptive, exploratory, and cross-sectional research design. It was conducted between July 2024 and December 2025, with data collected from 419 caregivers between October 2024 and February 2025. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews during home visits using a Personal Information Form, the Barthel Index, and the Zarit Burden Scale. SPSS 29.0 software was used for analyses, including descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation analysis. Results: It was determined that 60.6% of caregivers were women, 85.2% were married, and 70.9% were unemployed. Of the patients receiving care, 52.7% were male with an average age of 68.8. The average Barthel Index score was 21.7, and most patients fell into the fully dependent group. The average Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale score is 41.3, indicating a moderate level of caregiving burden. Caregivers experience the most difficulty with patient self-care (57.8%). No significant difference in care burden scores was found according to individual sociodemographic characteristics (p>.05). However, a negative and moderately significant relationship was found between the Barthel Index and care burden (r = −.557, p < .001). Conclusion: The variable most strongly associated with the burden of care during the home care process is the patient's level of dependency. Therefore, it is recommended that education and support programs for caregivers, which are based on nursing principles, be strengthened, and that the patient's level of functional dependency be considered in care planning. Keywords: Care process, Caregiver, Caregiver burden, Functional dependency, Home healthcare services, Nurse