The importance of the caregivers' overload in COPD patients with several admission at our hospital. The other side of the story

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Attention is focused on Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)patients, leaving behind the caregiver's overload.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the overload degree in the caregivers and demographic characteristics.

MATHERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective descriptive analysis. From 43 COPD patients with 3 or more admissions at our hospital from October 2014 to October 2015, we included 20 patients alive. Information gathered: age, sex, educational studies, knowledge of the disease and paliative care, sympton more limitant,economic help, Bathel and Zarit questionnaire.

RESULTS: From all 20 patients, only 14 had caregiver(70%), the rest lived alone, in a residence or had domiciliary care.

Principal caregivers: 11 were women, average age 69,3 years old, 9(64%) had no studies. Zarit questionnaire showed moderate or intensive overload in 11 cases. Nobody had economic help.

Patients: 18 were men(90%) with average age 77,2 years old, 14(77%) had no studies or only primary studies. Barthel questionnaire revealed in 50% of the patients severe or total dependence. Most of them, showed anxiety due to dyspnea (symptom more incapacitate).

Half of the caregivers and a 70% of patients had no knowledge about the disease nor palliative care and all of them wanted more information.

CONCLUSIONS: COPD patients with readmissions to hospital in 1 year are men, and their principal caregiver's women.

The lack of information from patients and caregivers about the disease is very marked.