2009, Cilt 16, Sayı 3, Sayfa(lar) 032-049
Strains of Caregivers of Alzheimer Patients
Ar. Gör. İmatullah AKYAR, Prof. Dr. Nuran AKDEMİR
Hacettepe Üniversitesi, Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi, Hemşirelik Bölümü
Keywords: Alzheimer Patients, Caregivers, Strains

Study is carried out to determine the strains of caregivers of Alzheimer patients. The sample of this descriptive study is comprised of 50 caregivers. Literature based questionnaire were used for data collection. Chi square and Fisher's exact tests were used to evaluate the data. 64% of caregivers were feeling strain in family life because of caring, 40.6% couldn't take support, 34.4% feel psychological strain and 18.8% feel economical strain. While 90% of caregivers' daily life were influenced, 83.3% were having problem in caring. Significant difference was determined between patients' wandering problem and feeling strain in family life and having problem in caring; patients' fecal incontinence problem and caregivers' having problem in caring (p<0.05), while there wasn't significant difference between the other problems and caregiver's having problem in caring and strain in family life (p>0.05). There was no significant difference between status of having support and feeling strain in family life (p>0.05); there was difference between caregivers' having another person to look after and feeling strain in family life; caregivers' problem in caring and caregivers information needs; caregivers' economic status that influenced from caring and feeling strain in family life (p<0.05). Caregivers must be supported and assessed by expert people and institutions.